Path of a Cool Dude
by Leiyoi
Summary: Set after the Kyoto Arc. Something has been bothering Renzou... Why isn't he on Okumura-kun's Cool Dudes ranking list? And thus, he attempts to get onto Rin's list in a subtle manner ... ...until he realizes that there's now a different reason he wants Rin to notice him.
1. Chapter 1

.:.

It bothered him.

It really bothered him.

A young man with pink hair rested his cheeks into the palms of his hands. His eyebrows were furrowed together in thought and he was staring at a certain person sitting in the front row of the classroom. For the fifth time throughout the lesson, he frowned.

Just what made him so uncool that he couldn't make it into Okumura Rin's 'Cool Dudes' ranking list?

Shima Renzou had been pondering that question for several days already. Well, rather than pondering, it was more like it would come back to plague him even after he had passed it off as something too troublesome to think about. It just didn't make sense! After all, he was the man who was known for being the epitome of cool...! How could Rin not see that?

The boy leaned back in his seat to continue observing the blue-eyed half-demon. Just what exactly was Rin's criteria for ranking anyway? And what was with that list in the first place? Surely it would be more normal to have a list of hottest girls or something like that... not a list of the coolest guys he knew...

_Ugh... why am I thinking about that creepy list so much?_Renzou grimaced and ran his hands through his hair in irritation.

"-san...? Shima-san?"

"Hm?" The pink-haired boy lifted his head from his hands and blinked once. Then he turned to see Konekomaru giving him a nervous and concerned look. He heard a scoff from his other good friend, Suguro Ryuuji, and caught him muttering, "Pay attention, idiot! We're in class..." under his breath.

"Haha, sorry. I got a bit lost in thought..." He sent the two boys a sheepish grin.

"Yeah... I noticed." Konekomaru laughed hesitantly and a bead of sweat ran down his clean shaven head, "You've been staring at Okumura-kun for the past fifteen minutes..."

Renzou's eyes grew round. "I have...?"

Fifteen minutes! Really...? It hadn't felt _that_long...

"Yeah... are you okay, Shima-san? Did something happen between you and Okumura-kun?"

"Nah, nothin' happened." Renzou waved off casually and chuckled, "Just thinkin' about a weird list Okumura-kun showed me a while ago." At the look he received from the shorter boy, he put on a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, Koneko-san, it's really no big deal. I was just spacing out."

"If you say so..." Konekomaru sent back an uncertain smile before returning to his notebook with a pen. Renzou let out a short sigh.

Hmm... well, that list was starting to get quite annoying now, wasn't it. It was even causing him to space out in class and make others worry! At this rate, it might never leave him alone...!

His lips pressed into a firm line as he attempted to think of a solution. Well, actually... he _had_come up with a vague idea of what to do... but just thinking about carrying out his idea made his body feel sluggish and heavy.

_Oh well... there's no helpin' it. I can't just ignore it __and keep having it come back to bother me__..._ Renzou smirked and directed his gaze towards the blue-eyed boy again. _I'll just have to get on that list, right? Then, it'll surely stop bothering me! Piece of cake~!_

First things first, he had to find a way to spend more time with the half-demon. Naturally, Rin would come to see that he was way cooler than at least Kuro and then add him to the list...! The pink-haired boy smiled smugly to himself. Right, then...

He cautiously slipped out his cellular phone and made a brief glance over the front of the room. Their young professor was currently facing the board and tapping out a few words on the blackboard with his piece of chalk. Renzou grinned. _Now...!_He hastily poked at the keypad with two thumbs, typing out a few short sentences:

_Hey, you free after class?_  
_Let's hang out~! (sparkle)_

He scrolled down the contact list and then selected, 'Okumura Rin'.

_Send!_Renzou smiled with accomplishment and then looked up in the direction of the other boy. He noticed Rin's tail jump up in surprise and then saw him fumble for his pockets. After a few seconds, Rin turned to peer at him over his shoulder, a curious and wide-eyed look across his face. Renzou gave him a small wave and a large smile in return. The half-demon blinked once and then quickly turned back to hunching over his desk. Within a moment, Renzou's phone vibrated once in his hands.

_Sure..._The text message read.

Renzou felt like jumping up from his seat to cheer happily. Alright! The first step of the plan was now complete...! He pocketed the phone and eagerly leaned forward to pick up his pen. Well, what do you know? This was actually not as tiresome as he thought it would be. _Might even be pretty fun!_He chuckled to himself as he clicked open the ball-point pen to jot down notes.

.:.

At last, the bell was ringing...!

Renzou stretched his arms upward and sighed contently when he felt the tension in his shoulders release. Thank god, it was finally the last of today's classes.

"Whew..." He leaned back in his chair to relax his eyes. Now all he had to do was go hang out with Rin and show him how amazing and awesome he was. Of course that meant he couldn't take Bon or Konekomaru along—however much he would've liked to—because it would take Rin's attention off of him. So second step: gotta ditch the friends.

"Umm, Shima-san?"

The boy cracked one eye open. "Nn?" Konekomaru was giving him a curious look while neatly placing his books into his bag.

"Oi, you're not comin'?" Suguro Ryuuji raised an eyebrow at Renzou while shouldering his own book bag. The boy with pink hair grinned and waved a hand at them.

"Ah, yeah," His eyes darted towards the half-demon who seemed to be having a cheerful conversation with Moriyama Shiemi, "Still got some stuff I need to do. See ya guys later, yeah?"

"Sure," Ryuuji's lips pressed together to form a tight line after following his friend's gaze to the front-row pair, "Just don't get in any trouble... like for harassin' people or somethin'."

"Ahaha! Is that how you think of me, Bon?" Renzou chuckled, "Don't worry, I just wanna talk with Okumura-kun for a bit. Go on ahead of me, I'll catch ya guys later."

"Alright then..." The boy with blonde-streaked hair sent him a bewildered look before shrugging and trampling down the aisle towards the doors. Konekomaru waved to Renzou with a smile,

"Take care, Shima-san."

"Yep, you too, Koneko-san."

The boy nodded and then jogged to catch up with Ryuuji. Renzou watched the pair disappear through the doors, followed by a smiling Shiemi and a slightly frowning Izumo. Takara, the mysterious ventriloquist, had long disappeared from the room and their professor had been the first to take their leave, likely off to take care of some important exorcist business.

Alright~ Step two: success...! It was just him and Rin now.

"Uhh..." He grinned at the voice interrupting his thoughts and turned to see Rin standing in the aisle. His book bag was all packed and the boy himself was looking generally awkward and fidgety. Renzou beamed.

"Hey there, Okumura-kun! All ready to go?" He stood up and began packing his things at a leisurely pace. At his words, he noticed the half-demon immediately perk up. His tail even made a small swishing movement behind his back.

"Yeah...!" The boy heard Rin say eagerly. Renzou snickered to himself. That guy was totally looking forward to hanging out together, wasn't he? "So, uh… what are we going to do?" He heard the blue-eyed boy ask curiously as he finished packing the last of his things.

"Well, what do _you_wanna do?" Renzou grabbed his bag and then folded his arms behind his head casually. The two began walking towards the door as Rin scratched at his cheek.

"What do people usually do when they… 'hang out' and stuff?"

A bead of sweat ran down the pink-haired boy's head. What kind of question was that?

"I dunno… we just… do stuff together? Like go to the game center or somethin'."

He saw Rin blink in confusion. "Game center?"

Renzou nearly dropped his bag. "W-What? You don't freakin' know what a game center is…?"

The half-demon's cheeks turned light pink and he yelled indignantly, "S-Shut up! Of course I know what a game center is…! It's a place where you, uh, well… there's a lot of… games… and stuff… right?"

They slowed to a stop a few steps outside the classroom doorway and Renzou stared at Rin for a moment. Was this guy being serious? He'd never been to a game center before? The slightly round-eyed, curious look across Rin's face told him that, no, he really had never been to one before.

"Buahahah—!" He couldn't help but laugh and he laughed harder when he saw the other boy's face turn a pink that could match his own hair color.

"What the hell are you laughing for? Stop laughing, dammit!" Rin scowled and fisted his hands together. It looked as though he would throw a punch at him but he knew that it was only a motion used to conceal the boy's embarrassment. Renzou covered his mouth with one hand and attempted to stop himself from laughing too hard.

"N-Nothing… pfft… it's just," He stifled another chuckle, "I just can't believe you've never been to a game center before. You look like the kinda guy who used to skip class a lot and would spend most of your time at a game center."

"Wha—! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nevermind, haha~" Renzou sent Rin a smile and then rushed behind him, "Let's go to the game center then! By the way, you might wanna hide your tail…" And with that, he began pushing the boy down the hallway, in the direction of the front doors.

"Eh…?"

.:.

"Woah…"

Renzou watched the other boy gape at the large two-story building littered with signs and fluorescent lights; it would've shone like a bright and glittering beam if it were night. The sign on the outside read in enormous red lettering, "SUPER STAR" and lined up beside the building were various restaurants as well as small stores selling snacks and a number of merchandise ranging from comic character figurines to traditional fans and clothes.

"What did you do after school if you've never been to a game center before…?" He wondered out loud and eyed Rin in interest. The boy pouted and refused to look at him.

"Nothing… I just… went here and there…"

Renzou raised an eyebrow. Was this something he didn't want to talk about…? The pink-haired boy shrugged. Well, he wouldn't push it if it bothered him. He smiled and slung an arm around Rin's shoulders.

"Wanna go in?"

Immediately, Rin's eyes seemed to sparkle.

"Yeah!"

Renzou had to hold back another laugh. Okumura Rin was thoroughly amusing…

The two of them made their way through the automatic front doors and a mesh of sounds greeted their ears. Rin followed the sounds of whirring and pinging noises and found himself standing in front of one of the claw crane machines, which held several tofu shaped stuffed toys inside. The blue-eyed boy pressed his hands up against the glass covering, eyes peering inside with child-like eagerness, and then he laughed in an obnoxious but nevertheless cheery manner.

"Haha! What the hell is that thing?" He seemed to be having a good time. Renzou sidled up beside him.

"Hm? You want it?"

"Sure, how do we get it?" Rin snickered, eyeing the strange stuffed toy with cute faces drawn on each cube. The eyes of the pink-haired boy lit up. _Chance!_This was the perfect opportunity to show off his skills and impress him…! Renzou stretched out his fingers and rolled his neck to the right.

"Just watch and learn from the master, Okumura-kun."

It was only after the twelfth failed attempt that he finally gave up. The pink-haired boy cried internally as he smacked his forehead and a fist against the machine. Why the hell was this one so hard…?

"Gyahaha! You totally suck, Shima! So lame!" He heard Rin chortle from his left. Damn it, this wasn't supposed to happen!

One of the employees waded through the machines towards them, a sympathetic look across his face. "Dear customer, I believe you've already passed the amount needed to get two so I'll open it up for you. You can choose any two that you like."

"Seriously?" Rin took a step backwards, hands raised in surprise. The employee simply smiled and pulled out a set of keys. Renzou managed his own smile, quickly recovering from his defeat.

"Oh yeah, you don't know, right?" He pointed to the other claw machines, "Each machine has a certain money limit. Once you reach it, you can just get the toy for free. Well, it's not actually free, but y'know… it's just a kinda courtesy thing. For playing so long… haha…"

"Oh…" A look of understanding fell across Rin's face. Then he blinked once before scrunching down one eye in thought, "… wait, doesn't that mean you paid for that tofu thing for me?"

Renzou scratched at his cheek, "I guess so…"

"What? That ain't right, let's get your money back!"

The employee smiled sheepishly, "I apologize but that is not possible. Please be satisfied with these toys…"

"B-But…!"

Renzou grinned and slapped a hand across Rin's back. "Don't worry about the money, Okumura-kun! Just pick one already. I want this one, it's so cuuuute~" The boy pointed to a tofu-toy that had its eyes squinted together, as though it were in the middle of a happy squeal. Rin looked torn between protesting and picking a toy. In the end, the boy resigned to taking one of the squishy white cubes with an open-mouthed smile and beady black eyes as its face.

The two boys left the machine and the bowing employee and then made their way deeper into the game center, holding onto their tofu toys. Rin stared at the stuffed cube in his hands with a frown.

"Ah, Shima, I'll pay you back—"

Renzou cut him off with a hand, "Forget it, Okumura-kun. It's totally fine. Too troublesome to keep track of somethin' like that, alright? So don't worry about it, geez."

"Let's get another toy from a machine then… Anything you want?" The blue-eyed boy glanced around at the surrounding machines with relentless determination but Renzou merely shook his head with a chuckle.

"Nahh, if you _really_wanted to get me something, I'd prefer porn or… oh!"

"Huh?" Rin blinked.

A silly smile spread across Renzou's lips and he jumped towards the half-demon eagerly.

"How about a bentou?" He suggested with an index finger lifted.

Rin raised an eyebrow with skepticism. "That's all you want?"

What did he mean by, "That's all you want?"! The amount of money he had just spent wouldn't come close to being worth one of Okumura Rin's hand-made bentou boxes…!

"What're you talkin' about, Okumura-kun~? Your food is totally delicious, dude!"

"Oh…" A happy blush spread across Rin's cheeks and he rubbed a finger under his nose, grinning proudly, "Well, yeah, I _am_good at cooking. So that's really all you want?"

Renzou nodded vigorously, the silly smile on his face spreading into a silly grin.

"Sure, that's easy. I'll make one for you tomorrow then."

_Yes!_ The pink-haired boy inwardly threw his arms up in the air, cheering wildly,_ Okumura-kun's bentou! I'm so fuckin' lucky~_

"Shima, Shima! Let's play that one next…!" Rin tugged on his sleeve, pulling him towards one of the shooting games. The grin on Renzou's face slowly subsided to one of a gentle smile. _Haha, looks like it really was a good idea to bring him here. He looks so happy it's almost kinda cute._

Speaking of 'cute'… didn't someone recently say something about Okumura-kun being cute? Who was it again… hmm… The boy scratched the back of his head as Rin began sticking in several coins into the shooting game machine. Unable to recall who it was, Renzou shrugged and inserted his own coins into the machine. Oh well. He could think about it later.

.:.

The sky was just beginning to glow in pink and orange hues when the two boys made their way down a sidewalk, the shrinking sun leading them back towards the old dorms. Rin was patting his stomach contently, having just finished a bowl of noodles from a street restaurant Renzou had recommended.

"Ahh, so good, so full~" The half-demon smiled smugly, eyes squinted closed in happiness. Renzou folded his arms behind his head, silently smiling and enjoying the walk back to their rooms. But all the while, one thought continued to reverberate in his mind:

_What does Okumura-kun think of me now?_

They approached the fork roads where they would part ways for their respective dorm buildings and the two slowed to a stop.

This was it. This was the moment he was waiting for… The critical evaluation of the entire day! The pink-haired boy grinned as casually as possible and pointed at himself, "So…! How was it today? I was cool, wasn't I~?"

Rin blinked once and then burst out laughing, "Haha! Cool? _You?_"

Renzou felt his body crumble.

Damn, looks like it would still take a while for Rin to see him as a cool guy…

"Well…" He heard the half-demon begin again and Renzou stared at the other boy with a tearful but curious look. Rin was scratching at the tip of his nose and he seemed to look a bit embarrassed, unable to meet the pink-haired boy eye to eye. He continued, "I don't know about 'cool' but… it was fun… so, yeah…" Rin sent him one of the most brilliant smiles he had ever seen, adorable canine teeth showing and a light blush spreading across his cheeks. "…thanks, Shima~!"

Renzou froze.

His heart felt as though it had leapt out of his chest cavity.

_H-How…?_

_How can this guy be so __**cute**__?_

He felt the uncontrollable urge to squeeze the air out of his friend and hug him to bits and pieces. Renzou flung out his arms, eyes sparkling, and he gushed out in joy, "Okumura-kun~!"

Rin immediately shrank back at the sudden action, eyebrows raised high, "W-What…?" He stuttered, eyes wide in slight fear and apprehension.

"Nn? Ah!" Renzou gulped and hastily readjusted his arms so that they were back by his sides. "N-No, nothing…! Uhh, wanna hang out again tomorrow?" He spoke before he could think. At the confused look on Rin's face, the pink-haired boy let out a nervous laugh and waved his hands about wildly, "No, well, what I meant was, we can go watch a movie or somethin' after school and invite some girls to join us or somethin'. Like you can invite Moriyama-san and I'll ask Izumo-chan. It'll be fun and we'll all get to know each other better! Aha… ha ha…"

_Oh god, that was totally lame just now…!_ He cringed. _And I just basically repeated what I said last time in Kyoto! Ugh, what the hell's wrong with me?_

Rin was staring back at him with a thoughtful look on his face. Then, the half-demon beamed and slapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Shima… that's a great idea…!"

"Ah? Ah… w-well, of course!" Renzou chuckled hesitantly, not exactly sure what had just happened, "I always have the best ideas…!"

"Yeah! So, see you tomorrow, right?" Rin grinned expectantly, looking up at the pink-haired boy. The eagerness in his eyes was almost enough to make Renzou's heart flop again a second time. "And I'll bring you a bentou for tomorrow!"

"A-Ah, yeah… thanks, Okumura-kun! See ya tomorrow~"

The two waved their goodbyes and then turned their separate ways. Somehow… everything had turned out all right in the end…? Renzou glanced over his shoulder to watch Rin's retreating figure and he noticed that the other boy was stepping lightly from foot to foot, moving with a small hop in each step. Renzou's eyes grew wide, just watching the cheery boy skip farther away down the road. Then, the pink-haired boy chuckled to himself and stuffed his hands into his pockets. A satisfied smile lifted the corners of his lips. Well now, that was definitely what he would call a day well-spent…! He pictured Rin's joyful expression and felt his smile grow wider.

_Haha~ Yep! Definitely a day well-spent~_ The pink-haired boy thought to himself, feeling strangely giddy. He continued on down the sidewalk, feeling the desire to jump about in the way he had seen Rin do. But then the memories of his failures throughout the day surfaced and he felt his body significantly droop. _W-Well… it wasn't __**that**__ bad…!_ Renzou attempted to comfort himself, _And he still wants to hang out with you! That must mean something, right?_

He just… had to be better prepared for tomorrow! Yeah. Tomorrow, for sure, he would impress Rin with his coolness…!

Renzou approached his dorm building and ascended the steps up to his room. When he entered his shared room however, he noticed with surprise that both Ryuuji and Konekomaru were sitting in their chairs, staring straight at the door with equally worried looks.

"Where the hell've you been, you idiot?" Renzou winced when his friend with blonde-streaked hair sprang up from his seat. The boy marched towards him and stared him down with blazing dark eyes. "Didn't you say you were just goin' to talk with Okumura for a bit? You've been gone for hours!"

Renzou let out a shaky laugh and held up his hands in defense, "H-Hey there, Bon… haha…"

Konekomaru rushed towards them and attempted to pull Ryuuji back.

"C-Calm down, Bon! I'm sure Shima-san has a good explanation… and besides, he returned safely so everything's fine—"

"Like hell it's fine!" Ryuuji spat out, "What were you thinkin'? Not tellin' us where you went off to? You didn't show up so we went back to look for you in the classroom. But then we find out that not only you but even Okumura's missing! Sensei told us he hadn't seen Okumura back in their room either. Where the hell did you two go off to?"

"Ahaha… uhh, well, we were just hangin' out…" Renzou gulped and pressed himself back against the door, "Like at the game center… and we ate some dinner an' such…" He attempted a reassuring smile and the anger in Ryuuji's eyes seemed to slightly dissipate.

"The game center…?"

"Ah, yeah!" Renzou smiled a little wider this time, "Funny thing, Okumura-kun's never been to one before. So I thought I'd take him out and show him what it's like. We can all go together next time…!"

Konekomaru let out a sigh of relief, lifting a hand up to his chest. "See? I told you everything was fine."

Ryuuji frowned and began returning to his desk.

"You're lucky you two didn't get into any trouble… anyway, next time you should at least text us or somethin'. Don't just go off on your own like that…!"

Renzou grinned and moved towards his side of the room. "Haha, sure thing, Bon~ Thanks!" He heard the other boy mutter an irritated, "What do you mean, 'thanks'? Stupid…" and he stifled a laugh. A small smile remained settled on his face as he prepared a set of clean clothes to take to the shower rooms.

_Thanks for worrying about me, guys…_

He grinned and lifted two fingers up to his head in a salute to the two other boys. They waved back, one half-heartedly and the other in a gentle fashion, and then he turned towards the door, his free hand reaching for the door knob.

_… but even so, I can't invite you guys to join in just yet. Not until I get Okumura-kun to acknowledge me. Forgive me…!_

.:.

Renzou was abruptly woken the next morning by the irritating buzz of his phone. The boy with pink hair groaned and scratched at his messy hair with one hand while the other searched blindly for the noisy object. The vibrating stopped in a few seconds, just as he slapped a hand over the phone, and he fell back into his pillow. The boy lifted the cellular phone to his face and after managing to peel one eye open, he examined the screen.

5:00 am? Who in the seven hells would be up at this hour…? Wait! Maybe…?

He shifted his head to observe the other beds in the room. However, the two other boys were still soundly asleep and snug under their blankets. Huh… so who else could it be?

The boy, now slightly more awake, clicked open the lock screen to find a text message waiting to be opened. He raised an eyebrow at the sender.

_Okumura-kun?_

Renzou glanced over the message and his lips steadily curved up in a smile.

_Hey, I forgot to ask yesterday. What do you like to eat?_  
_I already prepared some side dishes for me and Yukio last night but I dunno if you like tamagoyaki or if you prefer more sausages. Or maybe more sautéed vegetables?_  
_Anyway, tell me what you want! I still have time to make it for you._  
_Fried stuff is okay, too!_

The pink-haired boy read the message over again and then snickered to himself. Rin was up at this hour preparing lunches…? And even custom-making it to what he liked? Wow… who knew he could be such a thoughtful housewife? Even though he looked pretty lazy in class most of the time…

Renzou let out another chuckle. Then, he began to type back languidly.

_Mornin'! (music note)(sparkle)_  
_And just put everything in~_  
_I'm sure I'll like it all since Okumura-kun is the one making it~! (wink)_

He watched the bar on the screen fill up and then grinned as the image of a letter being sent off appeared. Then, he slid his phone shut and placed it over the middle of his chest. The boy twiddled his thumbs for a bit, waiting eagerly for a new reply, but as a minute and yet another minute passed, his eyes began to grow heavy. Just as Renzou was about to doze off however, his phone jolted to life again. His eyes snapped open in surprise.

"Egh…?" He yelped quietly and fumbled with the phone, quickly getting it open to read the new message:

_Fine! Just you wait, Shima!_  
_Get ready for the most awesomest bentou you'll ever taste…! (shine)_  
_I'll pack it up with everything I've got, heh heh._  
_You'll never want to eat anything else! (evil grin)_

"Bufuh—!" Renzou couldn't hold back his laughter. What the heck was with this response? The pink-haired boy stifled his chuckles, but his body continued to shake violently. He attempted to calm himself but after accidentally glancing over the message again, he felt his body begin to shake uncontrollably once more. "…c-cute! Pfft…!" Renzou extended one shaky thumb to his keypad and smirked. _Definitely saving this…_

Now that his sudden burst of mirth had finally subsided, he sent out one last message before settling himself under his warm blankets.

_Looking forward to it~_

And then, with a smile, the boy with pink hair fell into a sweet and peaceful sleep.

.:.

Although I originally put this on Devianart first, I am just uploading this here as well. So that all my works are together in one place~ But if you want more in-depth comments from me and also see the cover pictures that correspond with each chapter, you should go check out my deviantart account. Also, there may be deviations because I am uploading the word document versions that I wrote. Before changing it into a pdf file for deviantart, I may have made some changes and then been too lazy to save the document again. Hopefully... the mistakes that I didn't change aren't too cringe-worthy...


	2. Chapter 2

.:.

He wasn't sure what to expect upon entering the classroom later that day. But finding a haughtily smirking Okumura Rin, with what seemed to be a three-tiered bentou box in one hand, was definitely one of the least expected things he thought he would see.

"Heh heh, I told you I'd make you the most awesomest bentou box ever~"

Renzou could only stare at the other boy with a bug-eyed expression. Ryuuji and Konekomaru, who had entered the classroom a few seconds beforehand, gaped at the blue-eyed boy with similarly baffled looks. Smiling toothily, Rin passed the bentou box to the pink-haired boy—it was all wrapped beautifully in blue patterned cloth—and then the half-demon bounded back to his seat beside Shiemi, chirping a simple, "Enjoy!".

"O-Oi…" Renzou heard Ryuuji stutter, "What the hell is that! Don't tell me it really is…?" The boy with blonde-streaked hair pointed at the package clutched in his arms and he couldn't help but grin awkwardly.

"Uhh… yeah. I kind of asked Okumura-kun to make me a bentou yesterday…? Aha…"

"Okumura's…? He… made that for _you_?"

Renzou shifted the weight in his hands and gave a small nod, "Yeah, ahaha… pretty amazin', eh?"

The expression on Ryuuji's face seemed strange for a moment and the boy's eyebrows scrunched together as he started mumbling silently, "Why did he…?"

"Huh?"

"… n-nothing." Ryuuji whipped his head away and hastily marched towards his seat. Renzou blinked several times. Okay…? What had just happened? He caught the feeling that Ryuuji was, for some reason or another, quite upset and troubled about something… Maybe he wanted to eat Rin's cooking again, too? That was pretty understandable… his own mouth was beginning to water just thinking about Rin's curry rice.

"Shima-san? Why are you just standing there…?" Konekomaru's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Ah! Yeah, coming~" He smiled and began making his way through the aisles of desks and chairs. But just as he passed through the first aisle and crossed the front of the room, Renzou felt an intense gaze sear a hole through him. A bead of sweat ran down his head and he hesitantly turned to see who the pressuring gaze belonged to. A pair of glasses flashed at him and he flinched in surprise.

_O-O-Okumura-sensei…?_

He felt a shiver travel up his spine. W-Why…? Why was sensei giving him such a ferocious look? Renzou gulped at the dry lump forming in his throat and he laughed nervously, giving the young professor a small nod.

"Uh… g-good afternoon… ha… ha ha…?"

The scary aura surrounding Okumura Yukio seemed to intensify for a second, causing Renzou to shriek inwardly for help. But then just as quickly, it seemed to disappear. A crisp smile lifted the edges of the young professor's lips and he nodded.

"Good afternoon, Shima-kun." His eyes were hidden behind gleaming frames so Renzou could not read the professor's exact expression. The pink-haired boy took that chance to hurry the last few aisles to his seat and he settled into the chair behind Ryuuji with relief. He placed the enormous lunch box in the empty seat to his left and then sighed.

Holy crap… what a hectic afternoon! Was there something special about today that was making things start off so abnormally?

_Ahh, even if I think about it the entire day, I probably won't find the answer…_ Renzou convinced himself, deciding that the best course of action was to ignore the odd behaviors that his best friend and teacher were exuding. After all, there were more important things to tend to… Important things such as… asking Izumo-chan out~! Yes! He could see it all now… once she accepted his invitation and Rin was able to get Shiemi to come, the four of them would go watch a scary movie together. And then when it got to all the freakishly scary parts…

_"Kyaa~!" Izumo threw herself across the arm of the chair, clinging onto Renzou's middle and burying her head against his chest. "N-No…!"_

_"I-I'm so scared, Shima-kun…!" Shiemi trembled, eyes quickly squinting closed. She grabbed onto his shirt with shaky fingers and then leaned against his free arm, large breasts pressing up against him._

_"Shima! Shimaaa…!" Rin suddenly appeared in front of him and then flung himself at the pink-haired boy, crushing the air from Renzou's lungs for a brief second. The half-demon peered up at him with wide, teary eyes and his tail curled around one of Renzou's legs, shivering in fear, "H-How are you so brave and cool? It's so scary!"_

_"No problem," He gave them all a calm and comforting smile, "There's nothin' to be afraid of. Because __**I'm**__ here…!"_

_The three watched him with watery and hopeful eyes before cuddling him._

_"Shima~!"_

A stupid grin spread across Renzou's lips and he nodded to himself confidently. Right, so in order for everything to go smoothly, he had to first talk to Izumo! He fixed his eyes on the back of the purple-haired girl sitting on the other side of the room. _When should I ask her? During break? Should I text her? Ah, wait… she still hasn't given me her number. Damn it…_

And as he continued to agitate himself over the issue, in no time at all, break time came.

_Alright. Now! I'll ask her now…!_ Renzou nodded to himself, eyes and nostrils flaring with resolution. The boy shot up from his seat, surprising his friends sitting nearby him, and then he made his way towards Kamiki Izumo with haste. The girl already had her books packed up and was getting ready to leave for some food. So he sprinted the rest of the way. Skidding to a stop in front of the girl, Renzou spread his arms out to block her from moving any closer towards the doorway.

"Wh—?" She drew backwards, a look of annoyance and surprise across her face.

"Izumo-chaaan…!" He grinned brightly and leaned towards her with eagerness, "How about we go see a movie this afternoon? Okumura-kun and Moriyama-san are coming, too." Wait, was Moriyama really coming? He took a quick glance in the direction of the front row but after finding no one there, he deduced that both Rin and Shiemi had gone off to eat outside as usual. Renzou shrugged. Rin would probably be able to convince her… He returned to inviting the purple-haired girl, "Yeah, so it'll be fun! What do you say~? Let's watch a movie together~"

Izumo frowned and then turned her head away with her eyes closed haughtily. She stepped around the pink-haired boy and shot out a simple, "Not interested."

Renzou's mouth fell open. Oh no! He was rejected! Like always… This wasn't going according to plan at all…! The boy raced towards the door and planted himself between the girl and the exit.

"What are you—?"

"W-Wait! You should reconsider! It'll be really fun, like all of us can hang out and bond together… I'll treat you, too, if you're worried about the costs an' everything...! Won't you join us? Please~?"

She gave him an unimpressed look and then pushed him aside. "No thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, you're blocking my way…!"

Renzou watched the girl leave. Then he clamped his hands over his head and groaned in defeat. "Oh man, now what…?" There went one girl… He began his slow trek back to his seat, eyes downcast, and he sighed, "Well, at least there's still Moriyama-san…"

The boy's spirits began to lift again at the thought of the busty blonde. However, when he finally came closer to his seat and lifted his head from the floor, a horrifying sight greeted his eyes.

Renzou nearly screamed.

"Wha—? What are you guys _**doing**_?"

His eyes were larger than a pair of saucers when he found his two friends digging into the bentou Rin had prepared for him.

"Hm?" Ryuuji mumbled through a full mouth and looked up at him. The boy's dark eyes narrowed and he swallowed before speaking, "Oh, it looked like there was too much for you so… we helped ourselves. Besides, if you didn't want anyone to eat it, you should've watched it more carefully instead of running off to talk with girls." He grumbled.

Konekomaru smiled sheepishly. The speck of rice on the corner of his lips was the only indication of their recent 'crime'. "Sorry, Shima-san… But Okumura-kun really does make delicious food, doesn't he? Eheh… it's really irresistible… sorry…"

Renzou gaped at his two friends dumbly. Then he moved towards what was left of the bentou and inspected its insides with a careful eye. He found only a few bits of food left here and there.

"But w-wait…! Why is there so little left… if only you two ate from it…?"

A bead of sweat ran down Konekomaru's head and Ryuuji nonchalantly finished the last bite from the portion he had taken.

"Uhh, well…" The short boy attempted to explain, "We had quite a lot left over for you but… Okumura-sensei suddenly came over and took some for himself… so… that's what's left… I did try to stop him, honest…! But… since he's our teacher, so… a-anyway… here, chopsticks?" Konekomaru meekly offered.

Renzou continued to stare at his now empty bentou box in a dumbfounded way. Then, he fell into his seat weakly and picked up the box filled with the scarce remains of his friends' and professor's pillage. Lifting the pair of chopsticks Konekomaru had given him, he began to eat at the grains of rice and bits of side dishes.

_I was looking forward to this so much though… why did they all do that?_

He cried pitifully as the bits of what would have been a wonderful meal left the most beautiful aftertaste in his mouth. And just as Rin had promised, even with only leftovers, he longed for more…

.:.

For the rest of the day, Renzou was unable to fully concentrate on the lectures or activities during class. He would sniffle now and then, earning an apologetic look from Konekomaru and a roll of his eyes from Ryuuji. The hours seemed to drag on at an impossibly slow rate but at last, the final class of the day ended and the pink-haired boy gathered his things together.

Utterly exhausted from exorcist cram school and from all the events that had transpired that day, he laid his head down and sighed into the desk.

"Are you okay, Shima-san…?" The concerned voice of Konekomaru met his ears.

"Oi—we're gonna leave without ya if ya don't hurry." Ryuuji's voice traveled down to his ears. The pink-haired boy moaned and lifted a lazy hand up to wave them away.

"Yeah, I'm alright… you guys go on ahead. I'm gonna stay here for a bit…"

"Okay…" Konekomaru answered back hesitantly.

"..." Although he heard no reply from the boy with blonde-streaked hair, he could still feel Ryuuji's eyes on him. So he turned his head towards the boy, a curious look across his face.

"Bon—?"

"You…" The boy's face seemed to have an almost pained look as he spoke softly, "You're meetin' with Okumura again, aren't you…"

Renzou's eyes grew round. How did he find out? What should he do? Spill the beans?

_Well… I never could lie to Bon anyway…_

He sat up straight and smiled sheepishly, rubbing a hand through his hair. "Ahaha… well, ya got me! I'll be hangin' out with Okumura-kun again today."

Ryuuji continued to stare at him with that slightly pained look and Renzou felt his laughter die down. Why was he making that face…? What was wrong?

"… why're you suddenly hangin' around Okumura so much?"

Huh? What a strange question…

"No real reason," Renzou shrugged and leaned back in his chair to observe his friend a little more carefully, "He's a good guy and it's fun to talk to him. Why? Is there somethin' wrong with hanging out with Okumura-kun?" A small frown grew across his lips. Ryuuji couldn't possibly still find Rin a danger to be around, could he? Because if he did, friend or not, he totally had to knock some sense into him…

Ryuuji's face was turned away as he began to mutter again, "Oh… is that really the only reason?"

"Bon…?" Konekomaru gave the other boy a curious glance.

"Huh…?" Renzou blinked. Another reason…? Wait! No way…! Did he know about the weird 'Cool Dudes' list, too? Then again, he was sure the name, 'Suguro', had appeared in second-place on the list… so why did Ryuuji have to feel bothered about him approaching the blue-eyed half-demon?

The boy with blonde-streaked hair started again, in a slightly louder and firmer voice, "So, the only reason you're suddenly gettin' all close to Okumura is… because of that, right? Not because you're tryin' to… to… t-to…"

Renzou and Konekomaru exchanged looks of confusion and the pink-haired boy voiced again, "Huh…?"

Ryuuji's face immediately flushed deep red and his eyes darted towards the front row, where Rin and Shiemi usually sat. At the moment, however, they weren't in their seats and had already left the classroom. Still, the little motion he made seemed to make him more embarrassed and he quickly stormed his way towards the front door, shouting out a loud, "Nevermind!"

"W-Wait! Bon…!" Konekomaru followed after the other boy anxiously and the doors slammed shut with a ringing _bam!_

Renzou sat in his seat, now utterly dumbfounded for the third time that day.

What… the… hell was _**that**_—?

"I don't understand what's going on…" The pink-haired boy shook his head, eyes round, "I really don't understand…"

He frowned for a second.

Then a sudden explosion of insight came slamming into him and he gasped, "Haah—! Wait…!"

_The way Bon's acting is totally the way I'd see Izumo-chan react if she fell in love with me…! It's like the natural tsundere reaction when they're in love with someone! So then… Bon… likes… Okumura-kun?_

It all fit together now! The sideways glances, the awkward behavior…! Renzou's eyes grew round again, mouth hanging slightly open from the sudden rush of intelligence. Then, he chuckled and shook his head. The boy waved a hand in front of his face, a bead of sweat running down one cheek.

"No, no, no, that's not possible… ha ha… Bon liking Okumura-kun, what am I thinking…"

Thankfully, the abrupt buzzing in his pocket put an end to his thoughts and he quickly fished the phone out from his pocket. Sliding the cover open, the boy's eyes lit up. _It's Okumura-kun!_ He opened the newest text message:

_Sorry… Shiemi said she definitely had to be in shop today… T_T_  
_… are you still up for hanging out today though…?_  
_We don't have to but… I mean, if you decide to have other plans and stuff I'd understand…_

A silly smile spread across his lips and he held the phone a little closer to his face, just to make sure he had read it right. Although the message didn't directly say it, the boy could practically hear the unfinished sentence lingering on the end of the message:

_But… I still want to hang out with you…!_

"Gahh, so cute, Okumura-kun~" Renzou gushed to himself, feeling his chest grow incredibly warm.

It was nice…

Nice to find someone so eager to want and spend time with him and to be with him…

The pink-haired boy relaxed into his desk and began typing with dexterous fingers.

_Sure, I'm still up for it~_  
_Where are you now?_  
_Let's meet up! (happy grin)_

He quickly sent the message and began tossing his things into his bag, preparing to set out from the classroom at any moment. Sure enough, in under a minute, his phone lit up. Renzou flicked it open before it could even make a sound.

_I'm at the school steps! (happy happy)_  
_I'll wait for you._

"Uwahh…" Why did he find nearly all of Rin's messages so unbearably cute? He totally should've started texting the guy earlier…! How could it be that it was only yesterday that they actually began to use each other's numbers? Well, it wasn't like he had _never_ used it… he'd sometimes call him up to tell him when Bon's study sessions would begin. Stuff like that. But not like _this_. Setting up times and places to meet each other… Going out together to play…

Renzou tucked the phone into his pocket. In any case… so what if it had taken this long to actually start hanging out together outside of cram school? What mattered now was only the present! Right. School steps. He had to get there fast so he could squish the stuffing out of that fellow…! Without another thought, the pink-haired boy sped out of the classroom with his book bag, making a rapid beeline towards the school's front doors.

He made it there in record time and after a good shove, Renzou burst through the doors shouting, "Okumura-kuu~nn~!"

At the top of the stairs, he found the half-demon turning to give him a bewildered stare.

"Shima? You were still in the schoo—?" But as Rin spoke, Renzou leapt at the other boy, yelling a fierce, "Okumura-kun!" and he clamped his arms around his shoulders and waist, hugging him tightly. "—HhGUH! W-What the hell, Shima?"

The pink-haired boy nuzzled his cheek against the boy's blue hair. _Gahh, so cute! So cute, Okumura-kun! Why so cute~?_

"H-Hey…! Shima, what the heck is wrong with you? S-Stop!"

Renzou pulled away for a moment and observed the adorable half-demon. Rin seemed to be glaring up at him, but in a half-hearted way, and he could find a light blush surfacing in the other boy's cheeks.

Frickin'. CUTE.

"Uwoh—?" He heard Rin shout when he pulled him in for yet another hug. "Oi! What do you think you're doing!" Renzou laughed and only squeezed him tighter. _I can't help it. For some reason, just by hearing your voice, I feel really happy~_ The pink-haired boy mused to himself. But to be honest, he was also a little surprised. After all, what with Rin's Herculean strength, the boy could have easily thrown him off if he wanted to. Did he like being hugged after all, despite all his protesting…? He glanced down at the boy's tail which was now swishing faintly back and forth in a pleased manner. It seemed like the half-demon was feeling just as happy as he was. At least that's what he hoped…

"You're really touchy-feely, aren't you…" Renzou heard his friend murmur, a hint of exasperation in his voice, "And yesterday you were about to do the same thing, too, weren't you?"

He chuckled by Rin's ear, "Aha~ Yep! You caught me," Then he pulled back just enough to give him a teasing grin, "What, you don't like it?"

Renzou watched on in slight wonder as Rin's face suddenly turned inexplicably pink. The boy's blue eyes darted towards the side and stared at the ground, determined not to meet Renzou's gaze, "W-Well, it's not like I _don't_ like it but... i-isn't it kinda embarrassing? Even me and Yukio have never really… and no one's really ever… I mean, Shiemi did but… not… like this…" Rin trailed off to a whisper, face still stained a deep shade of pink.

Renzou's mouth fell open. He had meant that question as a joke but…

_Oh merciful God in heaven…_ The boy with pink hair quickly bit down on his bottom lip, suppressing his urges to vocally express how incredibly endearing his friend was, _If this guy gets any cuter than this… I'll certainly __**die**__...!_

"A-Anyway…" Rin muttered with his eyes still averted. He squirmed uncomfortably in Renzou's arms, "Weren't we gonna go watch a movie or something?"

"Ohh. Right, right." Renzou smiled as he squashed the rising urge to nuzzle Rin's hair again. He released his friend and straightened himself with a cough, "So... anythin' you wanna watch?"

The blue-eyed boy shrugged, the pink color slowly fading from his cheeks, "Not really. I don't really keep up with movies."

"Hehh…" He studied Rin as they steadily walked down the stairs, "You don't watch a lot of 'em then? When's the last time you watched one?"

"Mm… Don't really remember… but I know it was with Yukio and the old man, back when I was still a kid."

"Whaat? You've missed out on a lot of good stuff then." Renzou grinned at Rin, "I'll introduce you to some of them one day."

"Okay~" He received an excited reply. The two boys stopped at the cram school gates, and after waiting for Rin to wrap up his tail under his shirt, they left the entrance in a comfortable silence. As they progressed up the sidewalk, making their way towards the busier side of the city, Renzou reflected on Rin's words.

_The last time he remembers going to a movie was with Okumura-sensei and the old man…? Seems like he didn't have many friends as a kid then… Hmm? Wait._ _Old man? I feel like I've heard Okumura-kun mention him before… no, rather than 'heard' it was more like…? Oh! Right, wasn't it on the list…?_

"Hey… when you say 'old man', do you mean that guy you put as number one on your list?"

"Huh?" Rin's right eyebrow quirked upwards as he kept his eyes on the road, "List?"

A bead of sweat ran down Renzou's head.

"Y-You know… that weird 'Cool Dudes' list of yours." He gestured nervously. Was it just a dream or something? No, no… it couldn't be…! And besides, he wouldn't have such bizarre dreams!

Rin's mouth fell open. Then, the half-demon leapt back with two hands covering his breast pocket protectively. He eyed his pink-haired friend with suspicion.

"Wha-What? How do you know about my list? S-Stalker…?"

Renzou nearly fell face forward into the pavement. "Idiot!" He yelled back, "You're the one who showed it to me!"

Rin blinked rapidly, "I-I did…? I don't remember…"

Urgh… how could he forg—? Oh wait, the alcohol.

He sighed, "Oh yeah, you were drunk…" The blue-eyed boy continued to stare and blink at him in confusion, lips pursed together as he waited for clarification. Renzou chuckled and shook his head sadly, "Remember that night in Kyoto that you can't remember?"

"Uhh… y-yeah?" Rin sent him a slightly baffled look.

"Haha, well that's when you showed me your list~" The pink-haired boy grinned widely. Then, he winked at the other boy, "You even told me that I was really cool and awesome and that you were totally gonna add me to your list after talking to me that day~"

Rin stared at him. Then he snorted, "Pfft! No way! You're too lame, you'd never make it onto my list, haha!"

Renzou's mouth fell open this time. "Wha—! I can't believe it, you're still so cruel to me even though we're so close now…!"

"Gyahaha, can't help it if you're too lame, you know?" The blue-eyed boy chortled merrily. A part of Renzou felt quite frustrated for not having improved much in regards to the list. But another part of him felt strangely happy. Perhaps it was because he was seeing Rin's genuine display of happiness… or maybe it was because Rin didn't deny that they had become closer friends. Either way, he just couldn't bring himself to feel angry after seeing the other boy's smiling face.

"Anyway," Renzou rolled his eyes, "Yeah, so about the 'old man'…? He's first on your list!"

"Ohh…" A small, nostalgic smile settled across Rin's face and somehow it made Renzou's heart flutter a little, "Yeah, my dad. Uhh, not that bastard, Satan, okay?" The boy scowled in distaste and the pink-haired boy chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. I know~"

"My dad was way cool~" Renzou watched as Rin's eyes began to glisten with admiration, "He always knew what to do… or what to say to make things better. He was Paladin, you know? Before that long-haired creep took his place that is…"

_Paladin, huh… _He nodded, smiling as he listened. Then, his eyes grew round. _Wait, Paladin—? Isn't that the highest exorcist rank? …well,_ He thought it over again,_ actually… it does make sense that his dad was a Paladin. Since he was raising Satan's son…_

"Yeah…" Rin's eyes were now lowered to the ground, a sad smile pasted to his face, "I owe a lot to him… he really taught me a lot of things..."

Seeing the boy's melancholic smile, Renzou felt something clench in his chest cavity. That smile was so hauntingly beautiful… full of love and longing. It was absolutely captivating. Yet at the same time… it was so _wrong_. He didn't like to see it at all. It made Rin look so… His hands tightened together.

Just why…?

Why did he have to look so…

… _**lonely**_?

The pink-haired boy knit his eyebrows together, feeling slightly agitated. Before even noticing it himself, his hands were already reaching out and grabbing the blue-haired boy by his cheeks.

"Shima…?" Rin paused, looking up at him in confusion. Renzou stared into those blue eyes, spotting that inkling of sadness still lingering within the irises and the loneliness that still clung onto the boy's lips…

He pulled.

Rin yelped, cheeks being mercilessly yanked upward, "Ugyah—! Ow, OW! Wha tha 'ell are you doin', Shima?"

Renzou continued to stare at him. Then, he nodded in satisfaction, "Yep! Okumura-kun looks a lot better without that kind of sad smile on. Definitely." He grinned warmly, eyes curving into little slanted arcs as he continued to pinch at the blue-eyed boy's cheeks, "You should have a happy smile~ Be happy~ After all, you've got me around, right? Haha~"

He felt Rin's face grow hot in his hands and he chuckled when he saw the boy's face light up in a beet-red color. The half-demon hurriedly shoved Renzou's hands away and then rubbed at his cheeks fervently.

"W-What the hell…? Shima, you… you…"

"Ahaha~ Okumura-kun, your face is so red right now…! So cuuute~" The pink-haired boy teased as the other boy attempted to glare at him and not look too embarrassed at the same time.

"Shima, you…!"

"Hm~?"

Rin pouted and then narrowed his eyes at him, "You... you're actually a playboy, aren't you?"

Renzou's jaw dropped at that. He could feel his heart shattering as it plummeted into the pit of his stomach.

"Wh-Whaaa—? Why do you say that?"

"W-Well then how else are you so good at sweet-talking?" Rin spluttered in frustration, cheeks glowing.

Renzou felt his mind go blindingly white.

_Whaaaaaa—? How was that even…? Just when did I sweet-talk, huh?_

Nevertheless, he felt a giddy sensation rise up from his stomach—as though his heart had been rejuvenated in a thick and sweet honey—and he quickly lifted a hand up, using the back of his hand to hide the strange smile he was sure he was about to make. The slight burning in his cheeks alerted him that he was likely blushing as well, so he averted his eyes and whipped his face away from the boy standing in front of him.

"Okumura-kun, you're really…" He murmured quietly, mind in a mess and unable to focus properly. How was this guy able to make him feel so many different emotions in only a span of a few seconds? "I don't get you at all sometimes…"

"Yeah, well… same here…" Rin mumbled back softly, eyes also looking elsewhere. The two stood there awkwardly until finally, the pink-haired boy shook himself from his stupor and faced the blue-eyed boy, a mock serious look across his face.

"No, I mean really… you're one hell of a strange guy, Okumura-kun."

"S-Shut up…!" Rin sent him a half-flustered, half-irritated look, and his cheeks were still a blazing pink. The boy's eyes darted away again and he grumbled, "Weren't we going to watch a movie? C'mon, let's go already...!" And with that, he began trampling down the street at a faster pace than before. Renzou watched his friend from behind, following after him at a leisurely pace. He chuckled at the skittish way Rin seemed to be moving in and a wide smile spread over his lips.

Really… he was one hell of a strange guy…

But a loveable one.

.:.


	3. Chapter 3

.:.

"Look, Shima!" Rin grinned toothily, lifting up a thick magazine from the racks of the convenience store, "I found the latest copy of SQ! Yukio'll be begging me just to get a glimpse, heh heh…!"

"Ohh? Okumura-kun is interested in that stuff, huh?" Renzou smirked. "But if you're a man, you've gotta read…" He turned to the magazine rack, fingers twitching and flipping through the various pamphlets. He finally stopped and then whipped open one particular magazine for Rin to see, "... THIS!"

The half-demon dropped his book. "Uwoh?" He fell backwards, face shooting up in a bright red color, "S-S-Shima…! How did you…? Where did you…?" Rin pointed a shaky finger at the page, eyes wide and unable to tear themselves away from the suggestive page.

Renzou snickered at his friend's reaction. "I still can't believe you've never really been in a konbini before… you don't even know about the 18+ section…"

"Yeah? Well… it's not like I really need to get anything here," Rin murmured defensively and pouted, "Since I can cook my own food and stuff… all I need is the grocery store…"

Renzou stared at the boy through half-lidded eyes and a sly smile slid over his lips. "Uh-huh, I see. Now, Okumura-kun… LOOK!" He turned another page, thrusting it towards the boy, and Rin gasped again, face now ready to explode.

"W-Woah… they actually have that kind of stuff… just lying around in there?" The blue-eyed boy asked, face full of shock and wonder.

Renzou laughed and turned the magazine around, flipping through it himself and eyeing the nude women appreciatively. "Yeah~ Pretty awesome, right?"

"Yeah…" Rin slowly stood up and inched towards the pink-haired boy. He peered over Renzou's shoulder, staring owlishly at the pages being looked through. As they continued to read, Rin began to fidget uncomfortably at the increasingly graphic images and he slowly sunk back, eyes moving about, unable to fix themselves on one point. Renzou flipped another page, intently inspecting the pictures, and Rin gulped. The half-demon lifted his hands, fisting them into the back of the pink-haired boy's shirt, and he used the hold as a leverage to bravely lean over and peek again. But as another page turned, Rin hid his eyes behind Renzou's shoulder and he tugged at the shirt timidly, "Uh… Shima?" When he received no response, he tugged again, a little more fervently, "… Shima?"

"Hm…?"

"I-Is it really okay… to just stand here and read through… _**that**_…?"

Renzou chuckled and pulled his attention away from the magazine, "'Course it is~ You've never really hung out at a konbini so you wouldn't know. But a lot of people do this! By the way…" He glanced over his shoulder, giving an awkward smile at the tufts of dark blue hair tickling his neck, "…what are you doing?"

_And your hands are being really cute right now, you know that?_ Renzou cried to himself internally, feeling the fuzzy warmth of the other boy's hands against his back.

"Huh?" Rin blinked up at the boy. Then, he laughed nervously and released his hold on Renzou's shirt, "N-Nothing…! It's not like I'm not used to reading porn or embarrassed or anything like that, ahaha—yeah, I totally read a ton of porn…! I'm like… the King of Porn!"

A bead of sweat ran down Renzou's head. _This guy…_

"Bwahaha—?" The boy with pink hair couldn't hold back his laughter, "Okumura-kun, y-you… kuku… you shouldn't be announcing that so proudly, ya know? Ahahaha~!"

"I… wha… did I just…?" The blue-eyed boy blushed, ducking his head down in shame. Then he threw it backwards as he shouted towards the ceiling, "ARGH, I don't know what's right or wrong anymore…! GYAAA—!" Rin dug his hands through his hair in frustration, messing it up even more than usual. Renzou laughed even louder and he pointed an index finger at his friend.

"PFFFT! You're hilarious, dude!"

Rin seethed in embarrassment. "Rrrgh! Shima, you—!" He frowned and gave the pink-haired boy an irritated look, "Yeah, yeah… just keep laughing…"

"Ahaha! I will, haha!" Renzou chortled, laughing so hard that he had to wipe the tears from his eyes and support his hurting stomach at the same time. Rin stared at his friend's uncontrollable situation and he chuckled as well, a small smile crinkling up the corners of his mouth.

"Idiot, you're laughing too much… your stomach will start hurting…" Then, Rin's eyes narrowed mischievously and he crossed his arms over his chest, an aura of arrogance surrounding him. He smirked, "Heh, well serves you right for suddenly surprising me with all that naked stuff. Buahahaha~ Feel the pain of laughter…! Yeah! That's it, keep laughing! Haha! Take the great ME's revenge!" The boy pointed a finger at Renzou accusingly and the pink-haired boy sprang into another round of chuckles.

"AHAHA! Agh, s-stop… stop it—pffft! Oh god, it hurts…"

At last, Renzou was able to calm himself and the two sighed together simultaneously. The boy with pink hair placed the pornographic magazine back and then glanced at the small clock hanging from one of the walls.

"Hmm… well, we still have a bit of time before the movie starts…"

"Yeah… should we start heading over now?"

Renzou felt his stomach rumble and he blinked. Oh! He should probably get some food. He glanced around the store and then pointed at one of the shelves with a smile, "I'll get some sandwiches first. What about you?"

"Huh?" Rin tilted his head to the right, watching the pink-haired boy curiously, "Wait, you're still hungry even after eating my bentou? I didn't know you could eat that much…"

Renzou froze.

_Bentou…_

_Okumura-kun's bentou…_

_That delicious bentou was… was…!_

In a split second, Renzou was leaping at Rin and sniffling again, having remembered the injustice of it all.

"Okumura-kun…!" He cried and clung to his friend tightly for the second time that day, stunning the other boy, "Listen to this! Bon and Koneko-san… and sensei…! They… t-they…!"

"S-Shima, what the heck—are you okay…?" Rin patted Renzou's back awkwardly, unsure of how to comfort the other boy.

"They ate the bentou you made me…!" The pink-haired boy mourned and released the half-demon from his embrace only to grab him by his shoulders firmly. Renzou stared into Rin's shocked eyes, seeing his own teary ones reflected in them, "I didn't get to eat any of it!" He shook the blue-haired boy, feeling the aura of futility permeating through everything, and then paused to amend his statement, "Well, there were a few leftovers… the leftovers were so delicious, too… B-But!" He pulled Rin into a hug again and buried his face into the other boy's shoulder, "Now I'll never get to eat it…! It's gone! All gone…!"

"H-Huh?" Rin voiced in confusion and placed his hands on Renzou's shoulders, giving them a light push in an attempt to get the boy off of him. The boy with pink hair wouldn't budge. "Argh, Shima, what the? Wait, you're sad just 'cause of that? Oi, Shima… _**Shima**_!" He shoved the sniffling boy back forcefully and gave him a frown. Renzou twiddled his fingers together meekly.

"Yeah… because… well, who knows when I'll get another chance to eat your cooking again?"

Rin rolled his eyes, "Stupid, I can just make you another one. It's not that big of a deal…"

Renzou's eyes went round. "Seriously?" That thought… hadn't actually occurred to him…

The half-demon grinned confidently, canine teeth showing, and he gave the pink-haired boy a thumb's up. "Hell yeah, somethin' as small as this is no problem~ You can even come over for dinner too, if you want."

Renzou's eyes widened and he felt his heart skip a beat.

_W-Woah… not only is he cute… he's also somehow… very cool__ and manly__…?_

_WAIT.__  
_  
_Did he just say dinner…?_

"Dinner…?"

"Yeah!" The cool and manly smile from before collapsed into an eager and excited one, and Rin stared up at him with expectant blue eyes. If his tail had been out, Renzou was sure it would've been whipping around wildly with enthusiasm. "It's usually just me an' Yukio. But it'll be more fun if you join, too! Then it'll be the three of us…! Eheh heh~"

_Aw god, he's cuuute…!_

"S-Sure…! If you really don't mind, I guess I can come over for dinner, ahaha~" Renzou agreed automatically, not wanting to see that cute face of Rin's droop into one of disappointment.

_How can I refuse when he asks me like that? Not that I want to refuse anyway…_

"It's a deal then~" Rin smiled widely, eyes shimmering with anticipation. Renzou chuckled and ran a hand through the other boy's blue hair, playfully tousling it and eliciting a peal of giggles from his friend.

"Right, well lemme get those sandwiches and then let's head for the theater…!"

.:.

Entering the dimly lit auditorium, the two boys hastily crept up the aisles and then nodded apologetically as they squeezed past people to reach their seats. After settling into the springy chairs, the two let out a breath of air and stared up at the enormous screen stretched across the front of the room. Rin chortled to himself.

"Uhaha! Dang, it's huge~"

Renzou smiled as he watched the blue-eyed boy examine the room thoroughly, turning in his seat to see all around him with a pair of delighted eyes.

"So what are we watching again, Shima?" He asked as he continued to eagerly scan the area over.

"It's that new horror movie that's been playing on TV. It looked interesting so I wanted to see it."

Rin leaned back in his seat and studied the blank movie screen again. "Oh, yeah. A horror movie…"

The pink-haired boy grinned with enthusiasm and sat straight up in his seat, "Okumura-kun, do ya like horror movies?" He watched for the other boy's reaction in anticipation. It would be fun to see the half-demon get all freaked out over a horror movie. Then again, seeing as how they lived nearly every other day seeing strange and scary things, a horror movie probably wouldn't faze him. There was also the fact that he was Satan's son, too… it would be laughable if the child of the evilest and most horrifying thing in the world was scared of mere theatrics.

On the other hand… for a son of something so evil, he was awfully cute… which meant that when it came to Okumura Rin, things probably would never work as he expected…

Rin scratched at his head, thinking to himself for a moment. Then, he shrugged.

"I don't particularly like them… but it's not like I hate 'em either… I like action stuff more. And cool stuff… like, er… adventure and… oh!" The blue-haired boy turned to Renzou and smiled, "Stuff like _Justice_and** Friendship**! Yeah~ That combi always gets me right in here." He closed his eyes proudly and patted the center of his chest with a palm.

"Bffft—!" Renzou bit back a laugh when he saw his friend's expression, "Are you trying to become some main character in a shounen anime or somethin', ahaha!"

Rin's eyes snapped open and he pouted while crossing his arms over his chest, "Well, at least I'd make a better main character than you… heh heh." His lips quirked upwards, curved into a sneer.

The boy with pink hair gasped indignantly, "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

"Geh heh heh heh~" Rin giggled into one hand in a sneaky way and then smiled good-naturedly, "Anyway, what about you? Why do you like horror stuff so much?"

The pink-haired boy rubbed at his chin with a thumb, "Why? Hmm, well… I guess it's pretty exciting to push at your limits like that. Like the 'Test-of-Courage' camps, ya know? I always liked 'em… especially when you get paired with a girl~ When they get all scared and start clingin' to your arm while screaming, I think that's totally cute~"

"Ohh…? 'Test-of-Courage'?" Rin gazed at him in wonder, mouth slightly agape. Then, his eyes shifted downwards and he murmured, "Well, I wouldn't know about that but…" His eyes lit up a little and he leaned closer to the boy with pink hair, "But will it be kind of like what we'll be doing over the weekend? Minus the girl part though, I guess…"

"This weekend?" Renzou blinked.

"Yeah! You don't remember? Our next mission! We're going to stay in a mansion that some people reported as haunted." Rin's eyes looked as though they were sparkling despite the dim lighting, "Yukio said that we should be able to practice some minor exorcisms there and stuff~"

"Oh yeah… I think I remember that now…" Renzou nodded slowly, vaguely recalling the young professor mentioning such a thing during class. He waved a hand in dismissal, "Anyway, yeah…! A 'Test-of-Courage' is kinda like that but way more fun. You have to go for a set goal to pass the test and also survive through the… wait," His right eyebrow twitched upward as an idea began forming in his mind, "_Act-ual-ly_… hey! Instead of me explainin' it to you, we should just totally do that when we're done with exorcism tasks and stuff! Maybe right before we sleep or somethin'~"

"Uh?" Rin tilted his head to the side, not really able to follow along anymore.

"A 'Test-of-Courage'! You've never been in one before, right? So let's make one then~" Renzou grinned widely, liking the idea more and more. The blue-eyed boy blinked once. Then he leaned closer, obviously interested in the prospect.

"Really? We can do that…?"

Renzou nodded reassuringly, "Sure we can! I'll just tell Bon an' Koneko-san about it later. They probably wouldn't mind joinin' in~ Then there's the girls and erm… well, I guess we don't really have to ask Takara-san… I mean, with just the six of us, it'd give us a perfect three teams~!" The boy nodded to himself, already planning out the event. They could take turns scaring each other and stuff, too. It'd be awesome! He turned to the half-demon and grinned, "What do you think, Okumura-kun?"

The overly excited look in the other boy's eyes easily answered his question. Renzou chuckled. Rin was always so honest with his feelings… it was really refreshing.

"Y-Yeah! That sounds really great, Shima!" The boy was giving him a look of utter respect, "You're like, being totally awesome right now, you know?"

"Ha ha," Renzou put on his cool pose, knitting his eyebrows together purposefully and lifting a hand up to his chin as he smirked, "You finally see how **awesome** I really am, right?"

"Yeah~!" Rin grinned back up at him, looking ecstatic and completely defenseless.

Renzou had to turn away to hide the tears of happiness trickling down his cheeks.

_"Yeah~!"_  
_He just said, "Yeah~!" just like that…!_  
_He didn't hold back at all… didn't even think twice about it…_  
_That was just… so…!_  
_Uuuuuu, he's so god damn __**cute**__, god damniiiit…!_  
_Is… i-is it possible to get a nosebleed from getting hit by over-the-top cuteness? No, that was cuteness of epic proportions. No mortal man would've stood against it, I'm sure… Good job, Renzou! You're still alive…! You're lucky to only get away with a nosebleed!_  
_But, ugh… I… I feel faint. Maybe I've been exposed to his 'cute' rays for too long… oh my god… my heart can't take any more of this… my brain isn't really functioning properly anymore either. What the hell was I thinking about again?_  
_Oh yeah, Okumura-kun's cuteness._  
_Oh God…! …too cute. He's too cute…_

"Oh wait…" Rin's crestfallen voice caused Renzou's ears to perk up and he immediately pulled himself out of the mental mush that was his mind. Huh? What had happened…? The blue-eyed boy was fidgeting with the end of his shirt and frowning at his feet.

"What's wrong, Okumura-kun?" Renzou asked in concern. Wasn't he just really happy a few seconds ago? Why did he suddenly sound so disappointed? Rin looked up at him, almost looking like a droopy, rain-drenched kitten.

"But Shima, what if no one decides to join in even after we invite them…?"

Renzou frowned. Hmm, well… he wouldn't say it wasn't a possibility… but even so…

He sighed and shook his head. Then, a wide grin spread across his face and he leaned over to sling an arm around his friend comfortingly. "What the heck, Okumura-kun~ Did you forget about me? As long as there's at least two people, we can still do it!"

Rin seemed to rise a bit at that. "Oh, true…! But," The boy quirked an eyebrow up skeptically, "I thought you wanted to pair up with a girl… You even said it's more fun like that, right?"

"Ahaha~ Don't worry about that." Renzou ruffled Rin's wild hair and gave him a thumbs up with his other hand, "I have a lot of fun hangin' out with ya, so I bet we'll have a lot of fun even without girls or other people~ Just stop worrying about it alright? Just be happy about the courage test and leave everythin' else to me." He winked.

"Ohh… okay…" A happy blush rose in Rin's cheeks, smiling contently to himself after hearing Renzou's words, "Yeah… and uh, Shima, I also—!" The lights began to fade out, causing a sudden hush over the viewers in the auditorium, and the blue-haired boy gulped in the words he was about to say, eyes moving to the pictures emerging over the screen. Renzou chuckled and gave his friend's hair one last tousle before pulling back into his own seat. He began to relax, a satisfied smile on his lips.

_Good. He's happy again._

The pink-haired boy began to focus on the start of the movie. But a light tug on his sleeve caught his attention. He turned to look at Rin, who was looking down at the arm of the chair lying between their seats. "Hmm?" Renzou smiled warmly, "What's up, Okumura-kun? Still worried about somethin'…?"

"N-No… just… erm…"

"…?" Renzou blinked in confusion and felt the hold on his sleeve tighten slightly.

"… thanks and, um… I have a lot of fun, too. Hanging out. Just with Shima… that's all!" And with that, the grip on his sleeve released with a snap, shooting back to its owner. Renzou froze, eyes transfixed on the slightly embarrassed looking expression Rin wore as he stared intently at the glowing movie screen, refusing to look anywhere else.

Wha…?

The pink-haired boy felt his face burn up. He sat stiffly in his chair, suddenly feeling all too aware of the other boy sitting to his right. The place where Rin's hand had brushed against him seemed to tingle wildly and he shivered at the pleasant feeling.

_Oh god… oh god._  
_No way… Maybe I actually…?_

But… it couldn't be…? Then again, what else could it be? After all, no matter what excuse he came up with, he couldn't deny those rising urges of wanting to hug the other boy tightly or to plant little kisses into his hair for being so endearing. Hugging could still be considered pretty normal for friends… but this new want… to kiss…? Not so normal.

_Okay… hang on a second there, Renzou._  
_Don't suddenly jump to the conclusion that you like him as more than a friend, right?_  
_We can think about this calmly like a man._  
_Maybe Okumura-kun's cuteness just broke my brain for a second, who knows…_  
_I still like girls. Right? Right?_  
_Girls… girls… think girls… boobs, soft, curvy bodies, and… yeah~_  
_Okay, so 'Still Like Girls', check._  
_Now think guys… er… guys… right… let's see… oh! Juu-nii and Kin-nii's bodies in the bath!_  
_Wait, on second thought, why did I just imagine that…? Ugh…_  
_Hmm, what about Bon and Koneko-san…? Uhh…__ sure, I like 'em but… not like __**that**__._  
_Okay, so 'Starting to Like Guys', that's a no…_  
_Hm, so then liking Okumura-kun is a no…?_

He shifted his eyes towards the blue-eyed half-demon, who seemed to be trembling a little in his chair, lips pulled down in a cringe as he stared at the movie screen unblinkingly. Suddenly, with uncanny timing, several shrieks split the air and caused Rin to make the most adorable jump in his seat. The boy's head whirled from left to right, eyes darting around the room nervously before settling back on the images again.

Renzou gulped.

_Okay… maybe I do like him…_

He let out a breath of air slowly and wove one hand through his hair, still trying to get used to the possibility of having romantic feelings for his friend. Taking another glance at the blue-haired boy—just to test himself again—he felt his heart beat erratically just from seeing Rin's side profile. Renzou smacked a hand over his chest, beads of sweat running down the back of his head.

_Woah… this is totally crazy, man…_

He shook his head. No, there must be some other reason, right? He could still be over thinking things. After all… he only wanted to kiss the guy on the head! It wasn't like he was thinking of full on kissing Rin on the mouth, right? Kissing Rin on the mouth…? Kissing Rin on the…?

Renzou's eyes slipped towards the other boy involuntarily and as he continued to think, his vision zoned in on Rin's lips. When he realized what he was doing, his face burst into a red color and he mentally slapped himself. He clasped his hands together and stared at them as his knuckles turned white from being gripped too tightly.

_I… really do like him then…?_

This was way too sudden though…! He had only begun fully interacting with Rin yesterday. It was only _**yesterday**_…! Could people develop feelings for each other that quickly? His cheeks were still burning. The pink-haired boy groaned internally, freeing his hands and lifting them to bury his face in them. Then, after releasing another sigh, his thoughts trailed off to the first time he had seen the blue-eyed half-demon.

Really… he didn't think much of Okumura Rin the first time he'd seen him. A bit roguish looking, was what he thought, what with his messy hair, sharp canine teeth, and pointy ears... Then there was that crazy incident where he'd fought with the teacher and accidentally caused hobgoblins to rampage the room. At that point, he began thinking that Okumura Rin was a weird and noisy kind of guy. But then, as they had more classes together, his impression of the boy began to change rapidly.

Sometimes he'd wonder why Rin only sat and spoke with Shiemi. "They're going out?" Is what he remembered thinking once before Rin denied it that time at the fountain. "He always sits in the front row even though he's always falling asleep" and "Wow, he doesn't know much, does he?" were the things he'd think of regarding the blue-haired boy. He'd find Rin to be oddly naïve and eager, like a child. The next second though, he'd think that the boy was amusing yet strangely mature with how honest and straightforward he was with his thoughts and feelings. All in all, his overall impression eventually became something like, "He's a good guy… even though he's a bit weird."

Then came the forest camp. It was the night that seemed to turn everything upside down all of a sudden; when they all found out who Okumura Rin actually was… He remembered being frightened by almost everything that had happened regarding the lantern but also impressed with how Rin was able to handle each obstacle so bravely. And then when Amaimon appeared, he was shocked to see the blue-eyed boy rushing out to fight—without even second guessing himself—just to save Shiemi. He was even more shocked when Rin revealed his true form as a demon with blue flames. Then again… he'd always known that something was different and amazing about Rin. The fact that he was Satan's son was certainly surprising… yet at the same time, he hadn't felt as surprised as he thought he would have been.

He remembered watching the flames coming from Rin in almost a dazed kind of way. It had looked so surreal. The blue flames made him forget how painful his broken ribs should have been, licking at everything in an almost malicious yet enchanting dance. And even though he knew that those could be the blue flames that were able to kill, somehow he'd felt more safe than frightened. Maybe it was because he knew deep down that those were _Rin's_ flames. Not Satan's.

After that, things began to become difficult. Whenever something happened in class that would remind them of Rin, the class would grow awkwardly silent and the air would become so tense it became hard to breathe in. And then the times where he had to force himself to not become involved with the half-demon because both Bon and Konekomaru were trying to keep a distance… those times were so incredibly annoying and nerve-wracking. In fact, it seemed almost harder to keep away from Rin than to be with him. Especially when he could see Rin trying hard to hold back the hurt look on his face every time they ignored him. He really didn't deserve that kind of treatment…

Thankfully, while they were in Kyoto, he was able to patch things up with Rin and talk to him like normal. He remembered feeling the tight knot in his chest unravel as soon as he began conversing with the boy again.

Renzou chuckled to himself. _Actually, that's when he showed me that stupid list, wasn't it…?_

He felt his heart grow warm from recalling his memories with the blue-eyed boy. Now that he thought about it, maybe he didn't actually fall in love with the guy so suddenly. He couldn't pin-point exactly when he began to like him… It wasn't like he felt this way the first time he saw him, but it wasn't like he suddenly started liking him either. Everything just somehow… slowly became like this… naturally?

And now that he thought more carefully about it, it seemed like he had always been watching him, whether he had realized it or not. It was more like, whenever Okumura Rin was around, his eyes would drift towards him on its own accord. There was no escaping it.

And a life without the half-demon…? He couldn't remember it. Nor did he want to.

"Heh…!" The pink-haired boy laughed through his fingers, then peeked through them, wanting to take a glimpse of Rin again now that his feelings were clearer. A loving smile spread across his lips and then he dropped his hands, "Whatever. I give up…! Ha ha~" He whispered in defeat. There was really no use in fighting it any longer.

So… now that he wasn't getting all worked up about liking another guy, the next step was… well… that was the problem. A bead of sweat ran down his cheek. He wasn't exactly sure where to take these feelings now that he was aware of them. Renzou scratched his chin idly.

_I guess I could confess to him… that's what people would normally do, right?_ He laughed to himself uncertainly. Then again, he didn't really want to confess to Rin and then scare the guy away. They'd only just become closer friends after all… and he really liked spending time with Rin… just like this… A soft smile raised the corners of his lips. Then, it stretched into a silly and perverted one after a few seconds. _But it'd be nice to find out what kissing him would be like…__eheh heh~ _He thought to himself with a rising blush.Would Rin's lips be soft like a girl's? Would those canine teeth of his poke him if he swept his tongue through his mouth…? What would he taste like… The boy with pink hair shook his head quickly and then tried relaxing into his chair. _A-Anyway… there's no hurry, right? _Renzou nodded to himself,_ I don't have to tell him… not just yet!_

_Just be friends. Yep, friends. Just friends…_

He eyed the blue-haired boy from the corner of his eye and then smiled smugly, beginning to imagine kissing him again.

…_for now, that is~_

.:.


	4. Chapter 4

.:.

Rin rubbed at his arms, still shivering from the creepy movie they had just watched. "Ugh, that was one scary movie, Shima… I can't believe you like watching that kinda stuff…!" The boy grimaced and hugged himself, attempting to warm himself up.

They were outside now and Renzou stood in front of the movie theater with a far-away look in his eyes. Throughout the movie, his thoughts had continued to drift off in different directions, all eventually leading back to the half-demon. He hadn't paid much attention to the movie… well, he did remember seeing some girl being eaten alive and a child turning around dramatically, looking all mutated and such…

His eyes moved towards Rin's hands, which were working hard to heat up the boy's arms. A smirk slid across his lips.

"Okumura-kun, are you cold~?"

Rin frowned and then shivered again, "Yeah, kinda… that movie really creeped me out, so I'm trying to—?" The half-demon cut himself off when Renzou suddenly wrapped his arms around him and drew him in close, gently hugging him.

"Better?" Renzou chuckled and nuzzled his lips into Rin's hair, carefully concealing a small kiss into his actions. He hadn't noticed it the first time, but now he vaguely noted that Rin smelled quite nice. It wasn't the nice and sweet, flower-like fragrance girls had but… the half-demon still had a nice, comforting, and warm smell to him; as though he had just arrived at home. At the same time, however, he could also detect a rough and wind-swept scent in the messy blue hair…

It was... quite intriguing…

... madly addicting as well.

"U-Uwaah?" Rin hastily lifted a hand up and pushed him away by the shoulder, face ablaze and skin warm, "Shima…!"

_Ah, oops… that wasn't very 'friend'-like, was it? Maybe I got a bit too carried away._

"Ahaha~ See? You're all warm now, right?" Renzou laughed casually.

"But that was…?" The blue-haired boy exclaimed, cheeks a dark pink. "T-That…!"

"Hm~?" He gave the other boy an expectant look. Shoot, did he give himself away...?

Rin gulped and then turned away, letting out a reluctant, "Uuu… n-…n-nevermind…"

Renzou raised a fist up to his mouth, stifling a laugh.

_So cute!_

But… that had been a bit too close. He had to be more careful if he wanted to keep their friendship. It was hard though… after all, he was never that good at controlling his bodily urges… and just by seeing the guy move, he wanted to rush over and hold him. The pink-haired boy sighed heavily. Then, he blinked in surprise when the blue-eyed boy suddenly went missing from his field of vision.

"Hm?" _Okumura-kun?_ His heart sped up, thundering rapidly against his ribs. Did Rin actually figure it out after all? Did he run away from him? Was he disgusted with him and just couldn't stand being around him anymore?

_Shit, shit, shit… what am I doing? Where did he…?_

"Shima?"

Renzou felt his heart stop. He turned, finding Rin standing on the sidewalk leading back to the school. The boy was staring at him curiously, waiting for him, and he cocked his head to the side gently, asking a simple, "What're you doing? Weren't we going to my place for dinner next?"

That was enough to make the pink-haired boy grow fuzzy all over. He couldn't suppress the happy grin that wanted to leap onto his face, and with quick strides, he moved beside Rin.

"Eheh heh~ Okumura-kun…~!"

The blue-eyed boy gave him a nervous glance and raised an eyebrow, "W-What…?"

"Nothin'~" Renzou chuckled and slung an arm around the other boy's shoulders, giving him a brief one-armed squeeze before pulling back. Rin blushed faintly and then murmured a short, "Weirdo…" as they continued down the street together.

.:.

"Sorry for the disturbance~" Renzou sang happily as they entered the old and empty dorm building. Rin sent him an amused look.

"You know there's like no one here and I don't really care for manners. You don't need to say that."

The pink-haired boy chuckled and shook his head, "Nah, I just wanted to say it."

_After all, this is __**your**__ place. So I want to do things right._

Rin shrugged, "Suit yourself. Now let's go to the kitchen! I'm so hungry…!" The blue-eyed boy jogged down one hallway, pausing halfway to gesture for Renzou to follow, and then bounded off into one of the rooms energetically. The boy with pink hair smiled and walked at a pleasant pace, inspecting the place casually.

_I've stayed here before and since it was only a week, I didn't think much on it but… living in this place is kinda…_

He eyed the peeling paint from the walls, exposing the old grey concrete underneath, and he frowned at the dust gathering on the window sills, the cracks in the ceiling, and watched as small tufts of dust balls flew away with each step he took. The boy compared the dorm building to the one he stayed in and scratched his head.

_Wouldn't it be okay for Okumura-kun and Okumura-sensei to move into the new dorms now…? Actually, why are they staying here anyway? It can't be because of money… Okumura-sensei is on a scholarship just like Bon after all… Then is it because they thought Okumura-kun was dangerous? But he's not anymore…? So…_

"Hey, Okumura-kun—" Renzou rounded the corner of the doorway leading into the kitchens, intending to ask the other boy if he'd like to apply for a new room in the other dorm building. But his words caught in his throat when his gaze landed on Rin.

The boy's bangs were clipped back and he was just finishing with tying on a light blue apron. Rin peered over his shoulder, giving the bow on the back of the apron another tight tug before sending a smile at Renzou.

"Shima! What do you want to eat for dinner?"

"Haah… ah… ahh…?" The boy could barely speak. His vision was whirling. Rin moved to the refrigerator and began opening it.

"I remember having some squash that we haven't eaten yet. Hmm…" He bent down and tilted his head to the side cutely, eyebrows furrowing together, "We don't have much meat, huh… I guess I splurged too much this morning. There's still some pork left. I can make pork fried rice? Hey, Shima, what do you think? Or do you want some kind of soup, too?"

Renzou stared dumbly at the blue-eyed boy, eyes fixed on the slight curve of Rin's waist and hips which were being accentuated by the apron. The playfully twirling tail that was peeping out from the bottom of Rin's shirt was not helping with his attention either.

"Ohhh!" Rin laughed happily, tail whipping about wildly all of a sudden, and he leaned in to reach for something in the refrigerator, "Look, Shima!" He pulled out a package wrapped over in plastic and grinned beautifully, "There's exactly three fish left, he he~ I can grill us some fish!"

The boy with pink hair clamped a hand over his mouth and nose. He mumbled a rushed, "E-Excuse me…!" and without another second to spare, he dashed outside in a hurry.

"Shima? Shima…?" Renzou heard Rin exclaim in a worried voice but he shook his head and merely ran for the nearest bathroom as fast as possible.

_Good god… that apron isn't even close to looking sexy and yet Okumura-kun is able to make that frickin' thing look like one of the most erotic things on earth. What the hell is thiiiss—?_

"Wait, Shima—!"

Renzou's eyes widened and he nearly pulled a muscle in his neck to look behind him. Noticing Rin following behind, running after him with that apron still on, the pink-haired boy nearly felt his heart burst.

"GAHH—D-Don't follow me, idiot! Go away!"

He saw a shocked expression jump across Rin's face. But then it quickly contorted to one of anger. "What was _**that**_—? Stop running, dammit!"

_Shiiiiiiiiiiiit—!_

They continued to sprint down the corridors, both running as though for their lives. In a matter of seconds, the half-demon was able to catch up to nearly a meter behind him and Renzou squealed in terror, trying his damned hardest to keep out of reach.

"I said Stop Running, Dammit! Didn't you hear me—?" The blue-eyed boy lunged at the pink-haired boy and the two tumbled into the ground, rolling several times until Rin eventually managed to pin Renzou down. The two breathed hard, gasping for air after their sudden exertion of energy, and Renzou attempted to clear his mind from the haze of fear and adrenaline.

"O-Okumura-kun," He gulped, sensing that his wrists were being held down by the other boy's demonic strength, "What are you…?"

His line of vision finally focused and he felt his chest constrict when he saw the hurt look in the face of the boy leaning over him. Rin bit his bottom lip and he averted his eyes to the side. His grip on Renzou loosened as he sat back on the boy's stomach.

"If you hated grilled fish that much, you could've just told me…"

_Kuh—!_ The boy with pink hair felt something shoot straight through his heart.

"N-No! Okumura-kun, I…!" Renzou shot upright so fast that he knocked the other boy straight off his stomach and into the space between his legs. His hands seized Rin by the shoulders firmly and he shouted, "I LOVE grilled fish! I LOVE it!" His chest was heaving up and down and his heart was probably beating a million miles per minute. The depressed look in Rin's eyes had morphed into one of surprise. And then, it melted into a sweet smile.

"Oh, really? T-That's good to know…" The blue-haired boy chuckled softly, "When you ran away, I almost thought you wouldn't… well… never mind." Renzou felt Rin's tail rub up against his knee before finally settling around his right leg, curling around as though it were afraid he would disappear if he let go.

The pink-haired boy swallowed hard.

_N-No… I can't. Gotta hold back…!_

His grasp on the half-demon grew tense as he became more and more aware of their positions. Renzou's vision spun again when he realized that Rin's legs were practically straddled around his hips. Their bodies were also dangerously close… Not to mention, that apron was still on… and begging to be taken off with how disheveled it had gotten in their tussle…

"Shima? S-Shima! You're bleeding!" He heard the blue-eyed boy gasp.

"Uhh…?" Renzou replied unintelligently and blinked. Rin's eyebrows were creased together with worry.

"S-Sorry! Did I break your nose when we fell…?" The blue-eyed boy fretted and anxiously climbed out of the pink-haired boy's hold. He pointed a finger at his friend and said, "I'll go get you some tissues! And if it doesn't get better, I'll ask Yukio to help when he gets back. So wait right there…! Don't move, okay? You might make it worse!" As soon as he finished, Rin zipped off down the hallway, leaving the other boy to sit alone in the suddenly all-too-cold corridor.

"Okumura… kun…?" Renzou blinked again, hands still outstretched in the pose of holding Rin. He gradually began to regain his senses and then lifted one hand up to his nose, drawing it back to find a smudge of fresh red across his fingertips. The boy let out a deep sigh.

_Urgh… I'm such a…_

He bent forward slowly and then pounded a fist against the ground, tears of dissatisfaction running down his cheeks.

…_pervert!_

.:.

"_I'm home…!" Renzou slid the wooden door closed behind him and began to take off his shoes. He rolled his left shoulder, groaning as the sore spot there throbbed painfully back at him._

"_Renzou~!" Rin rushed into the hallway with a frilly white apron secured around his body, fitting perfectly to his every curve. The bottom of the garment fluttered and one of the straps slipped from Rin's shoulder, disturbed by the sudden motion the blue-eyed boy had made. At the adorable and absolutely heart-warming sight, Renzou immediately felt as though his body were being melted into a soothing bubble bath._

_Rin skipped over to the entrance and flung his arms out, leaping forward to give the pink-haired boy a loving hug. "Welcome home~" Rin sang happily, rubbing his nose against Renzou's neck with affection. Then he quickly leapt back, a bright smile on his face, with his hands clasped behind his back. "Would you like to have dinner first? The bath first? Or would you prefer…" An embarrassed blush made it across Rin's cheeks and he ducked his head down, glancing away. Then he looked back up, cheeks still flushed; but a slightly mischievous smile was beginning to spread across his lips. His eyes twinkled. "…me?"_

"O-Of course it's you, Okumura-kun…!"

"Huh? What was that, Shima?" Rin's voice floated from the kitchen and Renzou held another bloodied tissue to his nose.

"No! Erm… h-how's it going? Ahaha… you sure I can't do anythin' to help?"

Rin peered over the countertop of the kitchen, a pair of long chopsticks raised in one hand. He flashed Renzou a grin and chuckled playfully, "Stop worrying about it, Shima. Just be happy about eating my cooking and leave everything else to me~" The blue-eyed boy gave him a teasing wink and then snickered to himself before hopping back towards the stove.

A knowing smirk spread across Renzou's lips.

_Haha… that damn cutie… using my own words against me, eh~?_

The pink-haired boy leaned forward over the countertop, dreamily watching the half-demon work himself around the kitchen. His eyes would occasionally drift towards the boy's tail, which was flapping in the air at a steady pace, as though keeping to a certain rhythm; and every time the boy moved, the apron would hug around Rin's hips and waist in the most sensual way... Renzou sighed happily, chin falling into his palms. Did Yukio see this kind of sight every night?

_What a lucky bastard._

"Brother, I'm—"

There was a clattering thud at the doorway into the cafeteria room and Renzou turned around abruptly, attention effectively diverted from Rin.

Yukio stood in the middle of the entrance, eyes wide in surprise. His briefcase had fallen to the ground, papers and writing tools spilling out.

"Hey there…!" The pink-haired boy chuckled and raised a hand in greeting. _Wow, what timing~_

But within a second, the boy's green eyes narrowed dangerously and he growled out in a low voice, "What are _**you**_ doing here?"

_H-Huh?_ Renzou trembled in his seat, vision nearly going blank and raised hand shaking. _W-Why is he getting all angry…? What did I do?_

The boy's glasses flashed and he stomped forward menacingly, "Get out…!"

"Wha—b-but…!" The pink-haired boy gulped, putting his hands up in defense. Beads of sweat ran down the back of his head. What the heck was this guy's problem…?

"Yukio, is that you?" Rin glanced out from the kitchen, a happy smile across his face, "Just in time! I'm almost done with dinner, eheh~"

"Brother…" Yukio seemed to deflate after seeing the half-demon and Renzou released a breath of air he hadn't realized he had been holding in. The green-eyed boy frowned, looking clearly unhappy, "Why is Shima-kun here…?"

"Huh? 'Cause I invited him over for dinner!" Rin answered back simply and then turned to flip each grilled fish onto a plate one by one. Yukio stared at his twin brother for a moment before shaking his head.

"Why did you…? Haah…" He let out a sigh as he fixed his glasses. Then he turned towards the boy with pink hair and smiled congenially, "Shima-kun. Would you please have dinner at your place instead? I'm sure you understand that we don't have much food left and so…"

Renzou blinked in surprise. Oh yeah, why hadn't he thought about how troublesome he was being by eating their food? How did he become so inconsiderate? _Agh, idiot!_ He smacked himself internally.

"R-Right… I'll, uh…"

"What? Nooo!" Rin interrupted loudly, running out from the kitchen with his chopsticks and a pout on his face. "What're you talking about, Yukio? We still have enough food. Besides, I already made three portions…"

"Brother, Shima-kun also needs to return to his dorm before curfew time. His dorm is different from ours. He can get in trouble for being out too late."

Renzou gulped. Oh right. That.

Wait… but his curfew wasn't until around nine in the evening wasn't it…? It was probably only around six o'clock or so…

A sad look fell across Rin's face. "But it's only six… there should still be time, right?" The boy gave his friend a tentative glance and Renzou nodded reassuringly. Rin's eyes lit up. But the pink-haired boy earned a fierce glare from Yukio immediately afterward. Renzou felt his skin freeze.

_Ulp. Why does he keep staring at me like that? S-So scary…!_

"See?" A wide smile sprang on the half-demon's lips and he turned towards his brother expectantly, "Shima said that he still has time. C'mon, Yukio. It's just for dinner…! It'll be nice with more people, right? I'll even let you read the SQ mag I got today first!"

The green-eyed boy's eyebrows crumpled together, "Well—"

"Yukioooo…!" Rin pleaded, eyes sparkling with hope.

"But, brother…"

"Yukioooooooo—!"

Yukio released a heavy sigh and he turned away to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "…fine."

"Yes! I knew you'd come to see things my way~," Rin bounded towards Renzou, giving him a thumbs up, "Shima, you can stay!"

The pink-haired boy laughed uncertainly, slightly unnerved by the way Rin had persuaded Yukio into letting him stay for dinner. But he smiled gently all the same, glad to see the half-demon so happy just because of his presence. "Yeah, thanks Okumura-kun…!"

"No problem, I'll go get the dishes then. You guys set the table…!" And with that, the blue-eyed boy returned to his work in the kitchen. The two boys, now left alone in the cafeteria, stared at each other silently. Renzou gulped, feeling the oddly intimidating aura around Yukio slowly coming closer to suffocate him. But surprisingly, the young genius did not attempt to evict him from the premises again. Instead, he moved towards a set of drawers and slid it open without a word.

"A-Ah! I'll help—!" Renzou smiled nervously, rushing forward to take the eating utensils from the drawer. Yukio scowled, eyes shielded by the shine of his glasses.

"No need. Just sit there, Shima-kun."

Renzou gulped and sat back down, body quivering from anxiety. Had their professor always been this scary before…? He watched as the other boy calmly picked out three sets of chopsticks and chopstick holders. The boy glided to the table nearest the kitchen to place them on the tabletop and then he sighed, lifting a hand up to rub at his temples. The pink-haired boy raised an eyebrow.

_Maybe he's just stressed…? Speaking of stressed, _Renzou bopped a fist into the palm of his hand,_ I should probably give Bon and Koneko-san a text message, huh… don't want a repeat of yesterday, haha…_

He flicked open his mobile phone and began typing out a simple message:

_I'm at Okumura-kun's place for dinner~_

_Be back in about an hour or so._

_See ya guys later! (sparkle)_

Just as he finished pressing the send message, a gentle yet deeply frightening voice interrupted him.

"Shima-kun… what exactly are your intentions?"

Renzou swallowed thickly, eyes flickering towards the young professor sitting only two seats away. He didn't dare lock gazes for too long and eventually decided to settle with staring at his sweating palms.

"E-Excuse me…?"

He heard Yukio slide out from his seat and then walk towards him with slow steps, each echoing stamp of the boot ringing loudly in his mind. The green-eyed boy stood in front of him stoically and stared down at him through gleaming lenses.

"You have been getting very friendly with my brother all of a sudden… I would like to know what your intentions are. Why are you getting so close to him now when you never had such an interest before…?"

_What the…? Intentions? _Renzou's eyebrows raised high towards his hairline. _I know that he's pretty protective of Okumura-kun but this is a bit much, isn't it? What does he think I'm gonna do, betray him and turn him into the Vatican? Geez…_

Renzou rubbed the back of his head, now feeling slightly irritated, "Well, I really just wanted to become better friends with him… he's a cool guy and it's fun hangin' out with him…" He frowned and gave Yukio a skeptical look, "Is there somethin' wrong with me being good friends with him?"

The green-eyed boy seemed to inspect him carefully and Renzou didn't back down from his stare this time. Yukio's eyes shifted towards the tiny pile of bloodied tissues lying crumpled on the countertop and Renzou gulped, realizing that he had seen something suspicious.

"T-That's from when Okumura-kun knocked me into the ground!" He hastily defended, "I just hit my nose, which made it bleed, and then Okumura-kun brought tissues so… yeah."

Yukio was wearing an unreadable look. After a few seconds, he glanced away and then turned back, moving towards his previous seat.

"As long as it's just that then…" The young professor paused, taking a moment to settle back down in the chair. The two boys stared at the table that was all set-up for dinner and Renzou began to relax again. He still felt slightly weirded out by the whole ordeal—after all, that sort of protectiveness was a bit over the top, wasn't it? But at least it was over now…

Suddenly, Yukio's voice began again.

"…but if you dare to make him cry… or if I see that you're not '_**just being his friend**_'…" He heard the unmistakable clinking sound of a gun being moved in its holster.

The blood in his veins ran dry.

_W-W-What the fuck…? No way… is this guy serious…?_

The boy with pink hair scratched at his cheek nervously and forced a laugh out, "Y-You're joking, right…? Aha…ha…"

Yukio sent him the usual smile he wore on his face for teaching classes, "You heard me."

Renzou's mouth fell open.

_He's serious…!_

"Dinner's ready!" Rin chirped happily and rushed out with a tray full of plates and bowls, all laden with flavorful foods. Then he halted, noticing the odd atmosphere surrounding the two boys. He blinked at them in confusion, "Uh… what happened? You guys look kinda weird…"

Yukio smiled and stood up from his seat, "It's nothing, brother. Let's eat. Right, Shima-kun?"

"A-Aah… yeah…" Renzou replied automatically, following the green-eyed boy with wide eyes.

Rin watched them attentively, still unconvinced by their words. But then he shrugged and grinned, "Alright! Food's here!" He placed the tray on the table and began passing out the dishes to each person. When everything was all prepared, the three boys clapped their hands together.

"Thanks for the meal~!" Rin sang joyfully and then began digging in. Yukio closed his eyes and bowed his head serenely.

"Thanks for the meal."

"T-Thanks for the meal…" Renzou repeated, body still stricken stiff from the green-eyed professor's threat. The three ate in relative silence, occasionally disrupted by Rin's happy banter to Yukio about the day.

"…_but if you dare to make him cry… or if I see that you're not '__**just being his friend**__'…"_

The pink-haired boy chewed at his food slowly, hearing Yukio's words echo in his mind.

'_Just being his friend'… Does that mean he knows that… towards Okumura-kun, I…?_ Renzou watched Yukio from across the table. The green-eyed boy seemed to be acting normally again… His eyes fell to his bowl of rice. _I guess I really can't tell Okumura-kun that I like him now, huh. Well… that should be okay. I wasn't planning on saying anything anyway. _He nodded to himself, deciding that he wasn't the type to risk his life for love anyway. _Yep, I just have to bury away these feelings and eventually they'll go away…_

"Shima, here have some more!" He looked up in surprise when Rin suddenly placed a large piece of pork in his bowl. The half-demon sent him a warm grin and he could only gape at him wordlessly. Then, he took a bite from the meat and savored the taste in his mouth. A weak smile spread across his lips.

"Thanks, Okumura-kun."

_It's alright. I'll just be your friend…_

_I'll forget it._

.:.

Renzou rubbed the back of his head, eyes scrunching shut as he entered his shared dorm room. The rest of dinner had gone by smoothly and after a while, he had been able to even adjust his behavior towards Rin so that it reflected friendship and promoted nothing more. There were still a few moments where his thoughts would wander—in fact, more than just 'a few'—but he was quickly learning how to squash them down mercilessly. He sighed.

It had been an exhausting day… in many ways…

"Ah, Shima-san, you're back!" Konekomaru's voice greeted him, "How was your dinner? Sorry about today again…"

Renzou pulled on a tired grin, "Oh, hey there Koneko-san~ Dinner was great. And don't worry about that. Okumura-kun said he'd make me another, ahaha…"

Ryuuji closed his book and stood up. Renzou blinked when the boy walked towards him, a stony look across his face, and then he placed a hand on his shoulder, murmuring a low, "I need to talk with you…"

Renzou's eyebrows rose. "Sure…?"

The boy with blonde-streaked hair nodded gratefully and then returned to his bed to take out his toothbrush and toothpaste. Renzou followed suit, grabbing a set of clean clothes and a towel to bring to the bathrooms.

"We'll be back, Konekomaru." Ryuuji nodded and received an understanding smile in return.

"Okay, take your time."

"Thanks."

The two boys left the room and Renzou couldn't help but stare at his friend as they walked down the hallway together in silence. Ryuuji's eyebrows were furrowed and he seemed to be thinking deeply about something. The pink-haired boy's mouth pressed into a firm line, confusion apparent on his face.

_I wonder what he wants to talk about…? Koneko-san seems to know… hmm…_

"Shima," The boy with blonde-streaked hair suddenly began, "… do you still remember what I said this afternoon…?"

_Hm? Oh yeah, he was asking me why I was hanging out with Okumura-kun. Weird, kinda like how Okumura-sensei was asking me what my intentions were… what's gotten into these two?_

"Yeah, I remember. What about it?" Renzou glanced at the other boy curiously. A light blush seemed to work its way across Ryuuji's face.

"Erm… I know this is a bit weird all of a sudden, but it's probably better if I make this clear as soon as possible…"

A look of realization dawned upon Renzou's face. If what he had guessed before really was correct then…

_No way… don't tell me he's…?_

"I… mmrph…" The boy's voice trailed off into an indiscernible whisper and his face grew incredibly red. Renzou's mouth hung open.

"Wait, sorry, I couldn't hear you…?"

"I said that… t-that…" Ryuuji's eyes darted towards him and then flickered off to the side, "I… I _**like**_ Okumura, alright? Don't make me repeat it again!" His face burned brightly and Renzou felt his throat run dry.

_I was right…? No, more importantly, why is he telling me this…?_

"O-Oh, I see… haha, that's uh… great, Bon!" He answered, unsure of how to react. He settled with his usual smile and smacked the other boy on the shoulder encouragingly, "I can see why you would. Okumura-kun's a good guy and he's pretty cute, too, isn't he…" He noticed that Ryuuji was giving him a wary look and he felt his smile slip a little.

"That's what I actually wanted to talk to you about…" The blonde-streaked boy's eyes lowered, "Sorry if I'm bein' weird… but I just want to make sure…"

"R-Right…" Renzou replied, heart quickening in pace.

"So do you, erm… like Okumura, too? Is that why you've been approaching him all of a sudden…?" Ryuuji asked almost timidly, cheeks now a soft red.

Renzou gazed at his good friend with blank eyes.

_How should I answer that…? I can't believe it… we both…_ His fist clenched tightly together. No… Didn't he already make his decision? There was no need for his heart to be in such turmoil. He released the tension in his hands and a teasing smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

"Idiot~ What's with that look, Bon? You totally look like a maiden in love now, haha!" Renzou chuckled, watching Ryuuji bristle and blush harder. He smiled gently and gazed up at the ceiling casually, "Don't worry, I only think of Okumura-kun as a good friend. Really."

"Really?" He heard the other boy ask and he directed his line of vision back to him. Ryuuji was giving him a suspicious look, "Then why have you been askin' him out these past few days?"

Asking… him out…? Was that what it looked like…?

_If only…_

Renzou hastily suppressed the rising blush in his cheeks. He raised his free hand up and waved it rapidly, "N-No! That's not… you've got the wrong idea, Bon! It was just…"

What was it again…? Oh right! The list!

"I was just tryin' to get Okumura-kun to see how cool I was, haha~" He laughed nervously, "Y'see, back in Kyoto, he showed me this weird list that he made and I wanted to get on it…"

"List…?" The other boy stared at him, slightly wary yet at the same time curious.

Renzou nodded, "Yeah… actually you're number two on it!" That's right… Ryuuji would likely have a better chance than him at getting together with Rin… He was already a step ahead of him in terms of getting in Rin's good books.

"W-Wha…?" The dark-eyed boy flushed and blinked at him, "I-I'm on a list? What the hell sort of list is this…?"

"It's a list of people Okumura-kun thinks is cool~ So, ya see? I was just tryin' to hang out with him some more so that he'd add me to that list. Haha, it was botherin' me ever since I saw it, because I wasn't on it… So sad, right? Anyway, we're just friends."

Ryuuji stared at him in wonder. "I see…"

The pink-haired boy grinned and slung an arm around the other boy, "Nice goin', man. You're the second coolest person to him, ya know~ Even higher than his brother! You should totally go for him!"

"W-W-What are you sayin'?" Ryuuji gulped and shoved Renzou's arm off. His face was burning up and he rushed the rest of the way to the bathroom, "I-I'm goin' first…!"

Renzou watched his friend dash down the hallway and he smiled, able to tell that the other boy was actually very happy despite the rough treatment he received. Then, his smile gradually vanished. _That list… was a secret between him and I…_ The boy sighed and raised a hand to cover his eyes. His heart was pulsing heavily against his rib cage.

"What am I doin'…?"

.:.

The hot shower did little to alleviate the strange weight in his chest. Renzou settled onto his bed and let out a soft breath of air as he rubbed a towel through his damp hair. His motions slowed and his thoughts drifted back to Ryuuji's confession and Yukio's warning.

_Man…_ He winced, thinking back to how scary the professor had been. _With the way he was acting, you'd think he were jealous or something, just like Bon…_

Renzou's eyes snapped open.

_Huh…? Wait—_

"Hey, Shima…" Ryuuji's voice suddenly interrupted his train of thought and his eyes shifted towards the boy who was lying in his bed, staring up at the top bunk with his hands folded together over his stomach.

"Yeah…?" He answered back quietly, not trusting his voice to sound normal if he spoke any louder. A gentle snore from Konekomaru punctuated the gap of silence afterward and Renzou waited patiently for the other boy to continue.

"I'm… glad."

Renzou's hands flinched.

Ryuuji turned his head slightly to the side and gave him a small smile. "I was worried that I'd have to compete against you, heh… sorry, I'm sayin' weird things again…" The boy flipped himself so that he was facing the wall and then pulled his covers over his shoulders, "Night, Shima."

The pink-haired boy stared at his best friend's back silently and a sad smile crinkled up the corners of his lips.

"Night, Bon…"

_I guess this'll be the first time I've truly lied to you… ha ha… then again, it's not like I'm going to put up a fight… especially if it's against you…_

He chuckled wryly. Then, after a long second, he let himself fall over and into his bed sheets limply. The boy buried his face into his pillow and took a deep breath before releasing it slowly.

_Okumura-kun…_

_Why did I…?_

For the rest of the night, Renzou felt himself slip in and out of a restless sleep, dreaming of laughing together with the oblivious half-demon and of nothing else but holding him close in his arms.

.:.

AN: I lied. _Of course_ Renzou didn't only dream of 'holding' Rin. Don't underestimate how perverse he is. (Oh wait, you probably didn't. Ufufufufu—) orz


	5. Chapter 5

.:.

The sun's rays were sweeping through the cracks in the curtains, biting away the night's darkness, and one stray beam rested on Renzou's face, causing him to groan and scrunch his eyebrows together. The boy peeled his eyes open, glaring at the brightness. It had been a rough night and he was in no mood to deal with the new day… As he gained slightly more energy, he raised his hand, searching for his mobile phone sitting on the nearest table.

_7:42…_

His eyes opened slightly wider when he found a text message waiting to be opened. He selected the message curiously:

_Mornin', Shima!_

A light blush rushed across his cheeks. It was Rin…!

_I finished making you another bentou! (proud pose)_

_I'll make sure Yukio doesn't eat your share again._

_Sorry about that… I didn't think he'd be that hungry yesterday…_

Renzou rolled his eyes. _That's because that guy was being a jealous bastard…_ Despite the reminder of the less than cordial professor, the boy with pink hair smiled all the same and re-read the text message with a fluttering heart.

"Oi, Shima, you up yet?"

Renzou jumped and Ryuuji opened the door, looking refreshed after having washed his face. Konekomaru followed after him, towel around his shoulders and a cheery look in his eyes.

"Good morning, Shima-san!"

Renzou raised two fingers to his temple and grinned tiredly.

"Yo~"

The boy with blonde-streaked hair stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Woah, you alright, Shima? You've got dark circles under your eyes…"

"Ahaha… I had some weird nightmares so I couldn't sleep that well…" Renzou explained smoothly. It wasn't the truth, but it wasn't exactly a lie either…

"Huh, is that so? _You_ can have nightmares…?" Ryuuji smirked teasingly and the pink-haired boy laughed.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Ha...!"

"Anyway, let's go catch some breakfast. We'll wait for ya."

An easy-going smile spread across Renzou's face. "Sure…" It felt like things were already settling back into its normal pace. But somehow, it felt a bit strange… like there was still something missing…

He quickly freshened up and as he wiped his face with a towel, his eyes darted to his phone, which he had placed on the edge of the sink. Rin's message was still on the screen and he realized that there was more to the message. The boy scrolled down:

_Anyway, this time let's eat together, with Shiemi, too!_

_(Because I know you like girls so… it'll be more fun like this, right?_

_Unless you want to eat with just me, hehe. Just kidding~)_

_Let me know what you think! See ya~ (smile smile)_

Renzou clutched the phone in his hand, smacking it against his head to calm the rising giddiness in his stomach.

"Oh, Okumura-kun… you're not making this easy for me at all, are you… ha ha…"

He pulled away and stared at the screen again. Then he began typing, eyes dully watching the words emerge as he clicked away at the keypad.

_Sounds great!_

_Mind if I bring Bon and Koneko-san along, too?_

_It'll be like a huge picnic~! (sparkle)_

His thumb paused over the send button. The boy's eyes darted towards the 'Delete' button. But then he closed his eyes in resignation and then pushed down. He slid the cover shut over the keypad and then tucked the phone away into his pocket, forcefully directing his thoughts to other things. Schoolwork, exorcism lessons, girls… anything but the blue-eyed boy who was likely smiling excitedly at the text message he had just sent.

.:.

"Shimaaa! Sugurooo! Konekomaruuuu~! Over here, over here!" Rin yelled, waving his arms energetically from the top tier of the fountain. From the lower steps, Shiemi smiled kindly in the trio's direction and Yukio nodded his head in acknowledgement before returning to eating his lunch silently.

"Y-Yo…" Ryuuji nodded back, trying to act as casual as possible.

Konekomaru smiled and bowed, "Good afternoon."

Renzou waved back to Rin and smiled brightly, "Okumura-kun~ Moriyama-san~ And, eh… sensei?" His eyes zeroed in on the nonchalant green-eyed boy and then blinked in surprise when he also spotted two other girls sitting nearby, "Ehh? Izumo-chan and Paku-san, too?"

The half-demon leapt down from his spot and ran towards the three Kyoto boys eagerly. "Yeah! Yukio spread the word and it seems like it really did become a huge picnic, just like you said, Shima~!"

"Haha…! I see…" A bead of sweat ran down the pink-haired boy's head, "That's, uh… great!" He sent Yukio a deadpan look. _Seriously, dude…?_ The young professor merely ignored him and continued with his lunch.

Izumo let out a huff and crossed her arms, a slight pink tint rising on her cheeks, "D-Don't misunderstand… it's not like I wanted to come. Paku said she had to try his cooking… so I'm just following to make sure you guys don't do anything weird to her…!"

Paku laughed gently and gave Rin an amused look, "Izumo-chan kept on praising Okumura-kun's cooking, so I just had to come try it, he he."

"Paku…!" The purple-haired girl blushed brightly as she reprimanded her friend.

The blue-eyed boy blinked in surprise. Then, a happy shine lit up his eyes. "R-Really? Well, thanks, gyahahaha~"

"It's brother's only good trait, after all."

Rin threw the green-eyed boy an annoyed look and clenched his fists together, "S-Shut up, you mole-faced idiot!"

Shiemi giggled into one hand and then sent her smile towards the three Kyoto boys. "Let's all eat together…! This is quite nice, isn't it? We should do this more often."

"Aah, you're absolutely right, Moriyama-san~" Renzou cooed and joined the group. Ryuuji and Konekomaru followed after him and they all settled into a comfortable atmosphere. Rin immediately bounded over and passed the pink-haired boy a large lunch box.

"There! I put in some extra grilled fish since you said you loved it yesterday…! Hope you like it, hee hee~"

Renzou gaped at the other boy as he accepted the box. _Aah… yesterday, when I had him right between my legs, huh…_ A small smile spread across his lips. Then it split into a wide grin and he chuckled.

"Thanks, Okumura-kun~ I'm sure it's perfect."

Rin returned his grin with a warm smile, then his eyes shot towards Ryuuji and Konekomaru. They were just beginning to pull out their paper bag lunches. But the half-demon yelped, "Ah—! Wait, guys! I made you lunches, too! Here—"

He shoved two lunch boxes into their hands and he folded his arms over his chest proudly.

"It's a picnic…! So you better eat my food! Don't eat that stupid cafeteria food!"

"Buhah—!" Renzou laughed, "What kind of logic is that?"

Ryuuji's cheeks turned red and he grunted out in embarrassment, "W-What? I never said I wanted a bentou from you…! A-And don't say that the food we eat is stupid! Idiot!"

"Bon…" Konekomaru chuckled and shook his head sadly. The blue-eyed boy seemed too happy to care for Ryuuji's insults at the moment and he sprang towards Renzou, settling close beside him to begin eating his own lunch. The pink-haired boy shuffled uneasily in his seat, noticing the gazes of both Yukio and Ryuuji on him. Surprisingly, he also caught Izumo and Shiemi's stares on him as well. Beads of sweat ran down his head rapidly.

_What's going on here…?_

He did his best to ignore everything and attempted to enjoy the delicious food sitting in his lap. A tense silence fell across the group, the sounds of chewing the only source of noise from them.

"Rin's cooking really is delicious, isn't it?" Shiemi broke the silence and laughed softly. She received a murmur of agreement from nearly every member of the party and Rin rubbed the back of his head, looking obviously pleased.

"Nahh, it's not that good… aha ha… oh!" The boy blinked once as he thought of something. Renzou raised an eyebrow as the boy sitting beside him suddenly stood up and looked from right to left with a cautious eye.

"What's wrong, Okumura-kun?" Konekomaru asked curiously and the half-demon received looks of confusion from the others. Rin smiled smugly and began lifting his shirt.

"B-Brother! What are you—?" Yukio exclaimed, chopsticks clattering into his lunch box as Shiemi went, "Kyaaaa!" in embarrassment.

"I totally forgot! This place is exorcist grounds, right? That means no one from school will see us. I can take out my tail~!"

Renzou's face burst into a red color, having been the closest to Rin. He was looking up at the boy when he lifted his shirt up and he accidentally got a glimpse of the blue-eyed boy's sexy hip lines and well-toned stomach. He almost thought he could even see the tip of one dark nipple… but that could have just as likely been his imagination going into overdrive.

_Oh fucking shit…! __**Why**__, Okumura-kun? __**Whyyy—?**__ Do you understand how many dirty thoughts I'll have about you just by doing that?_

Ryuuji leapt up from his seat and smacked Rin across the head. "You IDIOT! Don't do things like that in front of the girls…! This ain't a changing room, ya know?"

Now with a freed tail, Rin's countenance drooped and he poked his fingers together in disappointment. "I wasn't changing though…" He murmured as his tail curled sadly around his leg.

"Ggh…!" The boy with blonde-streaked hair made a strangled noise and then turned his head away quickly, "W-Whatever… just don't do that again… stupid!"

A smile worked its way across Rin's face, apparently still in the height of his happy mood, "Okay~" He sat back down beside Renzou and his tail whipped around wildly, whapping against the side of the fountain at inconsistent intervals. "Eheheheh, yeah. This feels so much better…!" Rin grinned. Then, his mouth turned into the shape of an 'o' when he noticed his pink-haired friend burying his face into one hand. Rin cocked his head to the side.

"Shima? What's wrong?"

"Nothin'…" Renzou grunted out in reply and laughed shakily, "Your bentou… is just too good, aha… ha ha…"

_Y-Yeah… __**nice body**__...!_ The boy with pink hair thought to himself, inwardly spewing a dangerous amount of blood from his nostrils. He heard the sound of a gun clicking and he immediately sobered. Renzou sent Yukio a scathing look and the other boy merely fixed his glasses quietly.

The remaining time was spent in relative harmony, punctuated by the occasional laughter from Rin, Shiemi, and Paku, and several irritated shouts from Ryuuji. Renzou chuckled and finished his last bite of food right as the school bells began to toll once again. The group turned their heads towards the sound and then they glanced at each other, a slightly reluctant look in each of their eyes.

"Ahh, w-well… I guess we should all go back to classes, huh…" Rin laughed as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Yeah…" Renzou smiled, "Thanks for the awesome lunch~"

Ryuuji nodded and admitted with a slight blush, "It was… good."

"Thank you, Okumura-kun." Konekomaru sent the blue-haired boy a grateful and content smile. The half-demon stared at them with bright eyes and he grinned toothily.

"Yeah, no problem!"

Shiemi suddenly shot up on her feet, fists balled together in determination, "L-Let's do this again…! Everyone!"

Paku and Izumo also rose from their seats, patting off their skirts. The purple haired girl whipped her head away and muttered, "Who would do this again...?" The other girl giggled and tilted her head off to the side.

"Yes, let's have another picnic again sometime soon. It was a lot of fun…!"

The two left after brief 'See you's and soon afterward, the Kyoto trio began preparing to leave as well. Yukio coughed into one hand and spoke as they stacked the empty lunch boxes neatly on top of each other.

"Shima-kun… before you leave for classes, may I have a word with you?"

The boy with pink hair pointed a finger at himself and the others looked between Yukio and Renzou curiously.

"Uh, sure… Bon, Koneko-san, I'll see you guys later, yeah?"

"Alright…" Ryuuji raised an eyebrow at him, "But don't be late for class."

Renzou winked, "Don't worry, I won't!"

Rin gave his twin brother a confused look. "Yukio…?"

"You should go to class, brother. Or you'll be late."

"Rin, we should go…" Shiemi added gently, lifting a hand to tug at the boy's sleeve timidly.

"Oh…" The blue-eyed boy frowned. He bit his bottom lip and then tucked his tail away into his shirt, "F-Fine… let's go, Shiemi!" The group split ways and the only two left at the fountain were now the spectacled genius and the pink-haired pervert. Renzou crossed his arms over his chest, beginning to realize what he wished to talk about, and gave the other boy an unimpressed look.

_This super jealous guy…_

"Shima-kun… I did warn you yesterday, didn't I…?" Yukio spoke calmly.

"Hey, hang on a minute," The boy with pink hair returned defensively, "He was the one who flashed me, alright? Don't be mistaken dude, I didn't do anythin'…!"

The two stared each other down, battling wills. Eventually, Renzou sighed heavily and he moved to sit on the steps of the fountain. He heard the green-eyed boy follow suit, sitting a few feet away, and the two fell into a tense silence. Renzou leaned back on his elbows to gaze up at the sky.

"Hey, sensei…" He began in a deadpan voice, watching the clouds drift by, "You're… in love with your brother, aren't you?"

There was the sound of rustling clothes and he turned to stare knowingly at a red-faced Yukio, who had just slipped from his seat. His glasses were askew and the boy gawked back at him in shock.

_Right on the dot, huh…_

"O-Of course not…!" The young genius stuttered, actually looking his age for once. Renzou rolled his eyes. _Oh, please. You can't lie with that face you have right now. And besides, it wasn't that hard to figure out… what with how exaggerated your actions have been._

"Heh, you really are in love with him…" Renzou released a small laugh, watching the other boy straighten up nervously and readjust his glasses. He smirked coldly, "Isn't that… kinda weird…? Being in love with your _**brother**_?"

Yukio's movements slowed and the expression on his face grew blank. After a moment of silence, the boy turned from looking at him to staring straight out towards the school walls, looking far into the distance.

"I know it's not normal…" He clenched a fist together and a sardonic smile quirked up the corners of his lips, "It might even be sick but…" Yukio's smile grew soft and his voice became gentler, "… he's someone very important to me… incredibly important…" The boy trailed off to a whisper, eyebrows starting to furrow together tightly. After a pause, the boy turned. He gave him a stern stare, so full of conviction and resolve that Renzou almost felt his heart stop, "I won't give him up to anyone. I can't…!"

They watched each other silently for another few seconds. And then Yukio's face burst bright red. He lifted a hand up and fiddled with his glasses anxiously, turning his face away to stare at his feet.

Renzou continued to inspect his professor carefully. Then, a small smile spread across his lips. _Well… even though he's pretty difficult to deal with… and being in love with your brother is still kinda weird but…_

_I can't hate a guy who treasures something they love that much._

Yukio glanced at him with a slight glare again but his cheeks were still pink. "Don't… d-don't you dare tell him any of that…!"

Renzou rolled his eyes. Even though he didn't hate him, it didn't mean that he liked him either. Especially since Yukio was singling him out and trying to keep him away from Rin… The boy with pink hair grumbled quietly to himself, "Pfft, who's gonna tell who? I'm on Bon's side, not yours…"

"What did you say?" The green-eyed boy frowned. The pink-haired boy shrugged indifferently.

"Nothin'~ I just said sure, I won't tell him or anyone. You can shoot me if I say anythin', alright? Geez…"

"Hmph… good… I'll remember that." Yukio paused, eyebrows knitting together for a minute. He started again in a warning tone, "But if I catch you being too close to him again—"

"Yeah, yeah. I got it." Renzou waved a hand in the air dismissively and he picked himself up, "Well, if that's all…"

"… I'll see you in class then, Shima-kun."

"See ya."

The two parted ways coldly and when he was far away enough, the pink-haired boy let out a deep breath. He scratched the back of his head and then chuckled to himself.

Wow, so Yukio really **did** like Rin then…

What the heck, was he getting some sort of, "They Like Okumura-kun!" sense now? If that were the case… then judging from their behaviors and his gut feeling from the lunch break, it seemed like even Shiemi and Izumo liked the happy-go-lucky half-demon as well…

"Pfft—!" The boy clamped a hand over his mouth and shook his head in disbelief. It would be hilarious if that were the case…

_Okumura-kun, just what kinda guy are you…?_

Renzou imagined the boy's warm grin and he couldn't help but crack a smile. Realizing that he had involuntarily smiled, the boy swallowed and scratched the back of his head again, suddenly feeling a bit bashful. He slowly began returning to his classroom and kicked out at a small pebble along the way.

_Aah, Okumura-kun… you have no idea how loved you are… ha ha…!_

.:.

The comforting ring of the school bell signaled the end of the first half of cram school lessons. Renzou shuffled his notes together, eyes closed in a laid-back manner, and then began stuffing them into his bag for later study.

"Shima!" He heard Rin's voice yelp out his name urgently, accompanied with the unmistakable sound of hands slamming down on his desk. The boy with pink hair looked up in surprise, fingers still clutched around his papers, and then jumped from how close the blue-eyed boy was leaning in towards him.

"O-O-Okumura-kun?" He blinked at the other boy, feeling his body quaver. He wasn't exactly sure if the shaking was due to his attempt at suppressing his desires or if it were due to the intense looks he was receiving from four particular people. But either way, it wasn't very good, was it…?

"Shima! D-Do… do you…?" Rin began, eyes looking down at him in what looked a bit like desperation. Renzou gaped at the other boy. _Okumura… kun…?_ The blue-eyed boy fisted his hands on the table and turned his head away, cheeks turning slightly red. Then, he spun around to face the pink-haired boy, eyes flaring with determination, "Do you… DO YOU LIKE YUKIO—?" The boy screamed into Renzou's face, scrunching his eyes together from the effort of getting those words out.

The room fell silent.

The boy with pink hair froze, staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at Rin. He was shocked beyond belief. From behind Rin, he noticed their young teacher make a strange motion—like that of bending over backward as though his heart had been shot through—and he heard the sound of spectacles cracking and of chalk breaking on the floor of the classroom.

"Uhh… Okumura-kun…" Renzou laughed uncertainly, "I think you're getting the wrong impression… aha ha…"

_And seriously, you should learn how to be a bit more embarrassed about the things you say sometimes… ha… ha ha… time and place, ya know? __**Time**__ and __**place**__...!_

"But…! But…!" Rin threw a hand in the direction of his brother and frowned at Renzou, "Then what's going on between you two? Ever since yesterday night, both of you have been acting weird! And y-you… you keep giving each other weird looks!"

_Whaaaaaaa—? No, Okumura-kun! You IDIOT! The one who's being given the weird looks is __**YOU**__!_

"And you guys were talking alone together about something earlier today… isn't that suspicious?" Rin crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. A bead of sweat ran down Renzou's head and he stared up at the other boy with raised eyebrows. The blue-eyed boy continued to watch him expectantly, waiting with patience for a clear answer, and Renzou finally let out a weak sigh.

"Uhh, Okumura-kun, you're mistaken." He laughed awkwardly, "I don't like Okumura-sensei, alright? We just had some, uh… issues with the work I've been doing in class lately. Aha ha ha…"

Rin continued to watch him with a wary eye. Then, he slowly relaxed his arms and a pleased look crossed his face. "That's all good then…" He pointed an index finger at the pink-haired boy and grunted out with reddening cheeks, "Don't you _dare_ like Yukio…!" And with that, Rin sprinted back towards the front row of the room.

Renzou felt his heart crumble. He figured that Yukio was overprotective of his brother… but he didn't think that Rin would also be equally as overprotective.

_Well, I guess it makes sense… after all, his brother is more important than an uncool person like me, ha ha… argh! No! What am I thinkin'? I gotta pull myself together fast and stop getting all depressed over Okumura-kun…!_

"What was that about…?" The pink-haired boy heard Ryuuji murmur and he turned to glance at the boy, who had his eyes glued on Rin. "You…" Ryuuji's eyes darted towards him, a perturbed look within his irises, "…is that it? You like… sensei—"

"Noooo! I don't!" Renzou half-laughed, half-exclaimed indignantly, and then slapped his hands over his eyes. Oh god… this was so absurd…

"Oh…" The boy with blonde-streaked hair voiced. His gaze landed on the half-demon again and his lips quirked downwards slightly. A slightly hurt look surfaced in his dark eyes and he murmured softly, "You don't think… Okumura likes sensei then, do you…?"

The pink-haired boy felt his heart stiffen painfully, missing a beat for a full second. He was dreading hearing that. He hadn't wanted his thoughts to go in that direction but… if Rin really did love his brother as more than a brother… then…? Those two would…

"N-No! Bon, t-that… that can't be it, right…?" Konekomaru interrupted quickly, a shaky smile across his mouth, "I'm sure that's not it…!"

_Koneko-san…_

Renzou could tell that the small boy was attempting to smile reassuringly but… of course it would be hard to smile if a person didn't completely believe in what they were saying either. The pink-haired boy grit his teeth together. Wasn't there something he could do to help with Ryuuji's situation? There had to be… there was still the possibility that Rin was only being protective of Yukio… he didn't have to necessarily be in love with him. Right…? There must be something he could do for Ryuuji… anything… anything…!

_Ah._

A smirk grew across his lips and his eyes narrowed mischievously, "Don't worry, Bon. I've got the perfect plan."

"Huh?" His two friends blinked at him. He motioned them to come closer and he grinned as they drew in with curious looks on their faces.

"Remember when Okumura-kun and I went to hang out yesterday?"

"Yeah…?"

"I found out that he really wanted to try doing a Test-of-Courage event. He's never been in one before, so I told him I'd help arrange one for him this weekend."

"Haah…?" Ryuuji pulled back, giving Renzou a confused look. "Why did you tell him that? How are ya gonna pull that off?"

The pink-haired boy chuckled, "Aah, I was thinking we could make it into an event that takes place after our exorcism duties are over. Maybe right before we sleep, ya know? I was thinkin' of inviting both you guys and the girls to join but… I'm thinkin' maybe let's just have the four of us, eh?"

"Uhh…" The blonde-streaked boy raised an eyebrow at his friend. Konekomaru gasped and bopped a fist into the palm of his hand.

"I get it… Shima! You're thinking of pairing Okumura-kun with Bon so that they'll go alone together, right?"

Renzou winked and clicked his tongue at the boy, "Bingo."

Ryuuji's face grew beet-red. "W-Wha…?"

"Ohh?" A familiar voice joined in, "That sounds quite interesting, Shima-kun." A pair of glasses gleamed over the top of Ryuuji and Bon's heads and Renzou shrieked inwardly, hair standing on end. Oh god, this guy was WAY creepy whenever it came to his brother…! Yukio smiled kindly and folded his arms across his chest. "But wouldn't it be rude to not invite the entire class?"

"Y-Yes…" The pink-haired boy could only agree meekly and the green-eyed boy nodded in satisfaction before leaving to inform the rest of class that there would be a special event being held during the excursion the next day.

Ryuuji shivered and sent a bewildered look in their teacher's direction. "What's up with him…?"

"Y-You don't wanna know… ha ha…" Renzou replied, rubbing his temples with his fingers.

.:.

Three fully packed duffel bags—one red, one blue, and another that was green—sat huddled in the corner of the relatively clean dorm room. Renzou leaned back in his chair, tapping the end of a pen against his nose. A book of notes lay open on his table and he glanced back down at it. He felt his eyes throb at the sight and he groaned, throwing his head back to stare at the ceiling. Well, that was the limit of his concentration… The scribbling of pens on paper from the tables behind and beside him told him that his companions were still up to the challenge and he turned to observe his roguish-looking friend. The boy was currently staring unblinkingly at a page—with his hair held back by one of those girly-looking headbands—and his eyes were darting across the words as his hand worked with jotting down more notes into another notebook.

_Haha, Bon's so studious… incredible…_

As he continued to watch the other boy work, Renzou's thoughts began trailing off to his failed plan earlier in the afternoon.

_Hmm… well, I guess I can try rigging the pairs during the match-up process… ah, wait, sensei's probably gonna take care of that, huh. Damn, he better not rig it so that he's paired with Okumura-kun…!_

A deep frown crept across his face as he imagined the spectacled professor smiling and showing Rin that they had drawn the same card for the Test-of-Courage event. Just as his mind began to visualize the two holding hands together and skipping down a dusty mansion corridor, his phone buzzed and rang merrily on his desk.

"Phone." He heard Ryuuji grunt out, barely giving him a glance, and he lifted a hand up in an apology. The pink-haired boy grabbed the mobile phone and hopped outside, slightly glad to be released from the increasingly stuffy room. He glanced down at the screen and raised an eyebrow. Who would be calling him right now…? The word, "Juu-nii" was scrolling across and he blinked in surprise.

Clicking the answer button, he asked a slightly curious, "Juu-nii…?" into the receiver.

"_RENZOUUUUUU!"_ A very familiar voice blasted from the other end and the boy nearly dropped the device. He winced and rubbed his ear quickly, then shouted back into the phone.

"What the _**hell**_, Kin-nii? That fuckin' hurt, you idiot! And what are you doin' on Juu-nii's phone? You have your own, don't you?"

"_WHAT? I can't hear you!"_

"What are you doin' on Juu-nii's phone?" Renzou yelled louder in exasperation. A _thunk!_ from the door behind him caused him to jump and he sent a sheepish look behind him. Whoops… that was probably Ryuuji's shoe or something… The pink-haired boy tip-toed away from the door and quickly made his way towards the common rooms of the dorm. While he was jogging over, he could hear his older brother, Juuzou's, voice on the other end.

"_Oh? I think you need to adjust the volume, Kinzou. Press the button up here. Here."_

"_What? Oh, thanks. OI, RENZOU! YOU HEAR ME NOW?"_

Renzou slapped a palm against his forehead. "I heard you the first time… _you're_ the one who didn't hear me!"

"_Sure, sure. Anyway, how's Bon?"_

"Bon's FINE!" The boy with pink hair sat down in a chair heavily and glared at the coffee table placed in the center of the room, "You're callin' just for that…?"

"_What's wrong with that? But no,"_ Came the blonde-haired monk's voice, _"You didn't call back at all! So we had to call you instead. So did ya ask him yet?"_

Renzou stared blankly out in front of him. What the hell was he talking about…?

"Ask who what?"

"_Don't tell me you forgot?"_

"What?"

Kinzou made a grunt of frustration and then shouted into the phone again, _"Your FRIEND! YOUR __**FRIEND**__! We told you to ask him if he could come visit again, remember?"_

Huh…?

"Uhh…?"

"_Juu-nii! He totally forgot, the little twerp!"_

"_What? Put it on speaker!"_ There was a beep and then he heard someone shuffle forward. _"Renzou! You don't remember?"_

"You wanted me to ask my friend if he could come visit…?" The pink-haired boy raised an eyebrow, trying to recall when he had heard them make that request of him. And wait, what friend? Other than Ryuuji and Konekomaru… well, there was also Rin…

Rin?

They wanted Rin to go visit again…?

"_Yeah! Your cute friend! The one with the tail, remember? Satan's son?"_

"C-Cute…?" He blinked several times, feeling slightly shocked. Then, he gasped. Right! He thought he remembered someone saying that Rin was cute… It was _**them**_! They were talking about how cute Rin had been…! What the— "What the hell, it was YOU?"

"_Huh? What?"_

Renzou rubbed his temples and sighed, "Nothin'… anyway, I don't think he'd be able to come…"

It'd be pretty nice if he could…

But Yukio would definitely get in the way.

"_W-What?"_ There was a collective exclamation from both of his older brothers and he almost felt like laughing. Juuzou spoke again, sounding a bit disappointed, _"Why not? You should ask him! Won't know until you try!"_

"_Yeah, Renzou."_ Kinzou said in an accusing tone, _"I bet you're being a hindrance to everyone and being all pathetic again. Grow a pair, will ya?"_

"Shut up!" The boy with pink hair rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling a bit. He did feel pretty pathetic lately… he had to get his act together…!

"_So you'll ask him then?"_ He heard his older brother's voice ask eagerly. Renzou shook his head.

"I told you, he wouldn't be able to come. His brother wouldn't let him."

"_Brother?"_

"_That dude's got a brother?"_ Kinzou's surprised but clearly happy voice came from the other side of the receiver. A bead of sweat ran down Renzou's head. It couldn't be that these guys had taken a liking to Rin just after seeing him those few times, could they…?

"Yeah, he's got a twin brother…" He replied slowly, waiting for his brothers' reactions.

"_T-Twin—? You mean there's __**two**__ of them? Even with the cute tail?"_

"_And the teeth? And the ears?"_

"They're fraternal twins, idiots!" Renzou shouted into his phone to cover up the rising blush in his cheeks after hearing them describe Rin. Why was it that just from those few words, he was seeing the half-demon's face and body emerge in his mind?

"_Oh, they're fraternal twins… No tail then?"_

"_That's alright, they're still brothers, right?"_ Renzou could almost hear Kinzou grinning from the other end, _"He's probably cute, too. You should invite them both over!"_

"Wha—?" The pink-haired boy was somehow able to feel himself turn red but also feel his blood run cold at the same time, "N-No!"

"_What? Why not?"_

"B-Because… it's just…" He gripped his hair in agitation. Wouldn't they just leave it be already? "I-I'd DIE! In more ways than one! Is that all you guys wanted to talk to me about? Because I'm gonna go to sleep now! G'night!"

"_Sleep? But it's only eigh__**—beep!**__" _Renzou pulled the phone away from his ear and panted heavily from his exertion of energy. His thumb was still on the 'Call End' button and after a minute of staring, he finally let out a breath of air.

_Whew… _He wiped the beads of sweat away from his forehead and smiled dryly. _Man, I have really annoying brothers…_

The ringing of his phone caused him to leap into the air and he peered at the screen with round eyes. Who the heck was it this time…? The word, 'Ma' was scrolling across and he raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"…Ma?" He answered the phone warily.

"_RENZOU! How DARE you hang up the phone while your brother's still speaking!"_

"Ugh! Kin-nii!" The boy with pink hair threw himself back into the chair, leaning his head against the cushion in exhaustion, "How'd you get on Ma's phone now?"

"_Found it. 'Cause you wouldn't pick up if I called on my own phone." _Renzou let out a wry laugh. That was true… _"Anyway, so remember to ask your cute friend to come over with his brother, got it? And call us back when you do! Night! Hope you don't get bitten by any creepy crawlies at night! __**–beep!**__"_

The pink-haired boy listened to the blank tone of the phone for several seconds before pulling away again and sighing. _That guy just does what he wants, doesn't he…_ He stared at the phone for a moment before scowling. _Who's gonna ask them to come visit? As if I'd risk my life to do something like that!_ Renzou pocketed his phone and began returning to his room, making his way slowly up the steps. _I'll just call back tomorrow and tell them Okumura-kun said he couldn't come…_

In under a minute, he arrived in front of his shared room. But just as he placed a hand over the door knob, a brief vibration came from his pocket. He glanced down in surprise. _A text message?_

He pulled out the device and turned open the door knob at the same time. Ryuuji and Konekomaru weren't in the room anymore and their books were stacked neatly on the desks. The pink-haired boy glanced towards the drawers and noted that their toothbrushes were gone.

_Guess they went for the showers first…_

He sat down on his bed, flicking open his phone with one hand, and after settling down in a cozy spot, he turned to study the message:

_I didn't get to say it properly yet but… thanks for arranging the Test-of-Courage thing…! (cheer cheer)_

_Anyway… I wonder what kind of demons we'll find in the mansion…?_

_I'm really looking forward to it~ How about you?_

Renzou gasped. It was Rin! He was sending him a text message just to thank him and chat about the excursion the next day? The boy chuckled. _So cute~ You didn't have to send a text message right now. You could've waited until tomorrow to tell me, stupid~ Are you that excited? _He quickly typed back a response:

_Haha~ You sound really excited!_

_I'm glad you're looking forward to it._

_I also want to see what it'll be like~  
Hope it's super scary and a whole bunch of people scream, fu fu fu…! (evil grin)_

_Anyway, we're leaving early tomorrow. Shouldn't you be going to sleep?  
_

After sending the message, Renzou flopped onto his back and began fiddling with his phone as he waited for Rin's reply. When a few seconds passed, the boy dropped the hand holding his phone and gave a dull stare up at the empty bed lying above him. _I wonder what he's doing right now…?_ Perhaps he was reading his message and thinking hard on what to write back? Or did he read it and then go off to do other things? Then he'd come back later to send him a message? Should he just stay on the bed and wait…? Renzou sighed and began lifting himself up by his elbows. _I should probably go join Bon and Koneko-san… we do need to wake up early tomorrow…_

His cell phone suddenly buzzed against his bed sheets. The boy's hand immediately shot towards it and flicked it open eagerly.

_Haha, Shima, sometimes I think you're kinda mean~ (sticks out tongue)_

_Is scaring people that fun? I should try scaring you then, he he he… (haughty smirk)_

_Anyway, look what I found on my phone while I was waiting! - (happily waving tail)_

_Look! It totally fits me, right? Right? I totally have to use this more~_

_Oh, and I'm not going to sleep yet!_

_Not when there are so many text messages I could be using (happily waving tail)(droopy sad tail)(surprised scared tail) with! Send me more messages, Shima!_

Renzou read the message with a dumbfounded look on his face. Then, his cheeks turned pink and he stifled a laugh, "PFFT! Okumura-kun… w-why…" He clutched the phone over his heart and threw himself back on the bed so that he was staring up towards the upper bunk bed with an elated expression. The boy scrunched his eyes together and then cuddled the phone with his hands, rolling back and forth across his bed uncontrollably.

_So cuuute…! Ahh, Okumura-kun, you're too cute…!_

He rolled to a stop on his stomach and then re-read the message while constructing a reply in his mind.

_Just try and scare me~ Heh heh… I accept the challenge! (smirk)(sparkle)_

_And_

Renzou paused and searched through his list of emoticons mischievously. Finding a surprising amount of them, he chuckled and selected several of them.

_And look, I've got them, too… fu fu:_

_(embarrassed blushing tail)(shooting up angry tail)(super excited tail)_

He sent the message and laughed to himself inwardly. _Ooh, he's gonna be so pissed when he sees that~ Pfft!_

And he was right. In no time at all, he received another message from the blue-eyed boy:

_HEY! No fair! You're not allowed to use them…! (shooting up angry tail)_

_They don't fit you! This does: (heart)_

Renzou slapped a hand over his mouth and his cheeks turned a deep red. What the hell was that _(heart)_ supposed to mean? He decided to write exactly that back.

_What the? What's that supposed to mean!_

The boy quickly sent the message and then waited impatiently for the next one to arrive. However, as one minute passed and another passed as well, Renzou felt his body relax and sink slightly in disappointment. Hmm, Rin was taking quite a while to write this next one… Why? Was it because…? His heart began to speed up. Wait, maybe he caught onto the fact that he liked him and decided to stop with the messages? Did his reply sound too eager and so it gave him away?

_Urgh… oh man, I should've calmed down a bit before sending that… What did I write exactly? Damn it, wish these phones showed us the sent mail and not only the received mail… aaagh, Okumura-kun, if you're writing back, hurry and send it already…!_

A well-timed buzz came from his phone and his eyes lit up. His heart was still beating fast, but now for an entirely different reason. The boy opened the message and then read:

_Shima-kun, if you have enough time to be sending useless text messages to my brother, please use that time to study instead._

Renzou's mind went blank. Then he lifted the phone, hands shaking as he nearly decided to toss the device into the dorm wall. The boy settled with gripping the phone tightly in his fingers and he quickly pressed the delete button for the message before slamming it down on his desk. _What the hell, dude…? What are you, a jealous girlfriend who looks through her boyfriend's text messages? Jesus Christ!_ He began collecting his clean clothes and toothbrush to take to the shower rooms. _So that's why the message took so long to arrive... I bet Okumura-kun was forced to sleep or something by sensei…!_ The boy felt his temper rise as he imagined Yukio pinning Rin to the bed with his body and then forcing the boy's phone from his hands. Renzou seethed and then stormed angrily out from the room.

_Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Argh, I gotta calm down… calm down… Okumura-kun wouldn't let that happen to him, right? Sensei probably convinced him through words or somethin', like he usually does… yeah… he doesn't have the guts to do something like that, heh. Heh heh heh… yeah…_

The pink-haired boy barely noticed Ryuuji and Konekomaru pass by. He thought he saw them give him highly perturbed looks as they greeted each other in the hallway, but he didn't linger on it. He had to take a nice and relaxing hot shower fast… otherwise his vision would go red soon...

Later in the night, after returning from his shower and feeling slightly better, he noticed his mobile phone winking one of its lights from the table comfortingly. It was a new text message. He opened it cautiously and eyed the contents of the mail. Then, a small smile crept up his lips.

_Sorry about the late reply._

_Yukio told me to sleep and then took my phone away…_

_But I snuck it back, haha! (evil sneaky tail)_

_Anyway… Night, Shima~ (sleepy tail)_

_See you tomorrow!_

.:.


	6. Chapter 6

.:.

The next morning's sky was slightly obscured by clouds and a gentle chill was beginning to set in, signaling the start of autumn into winter. It was fifteen minutes past five o'clock and nine individuals stood by the curb of the street, waiting for their small shuttle bus to arrive.

Yukio nodded as he verified that all the students were present.

"Good to see that everyone is on time. Now, for this mission we will be investigating the Rosenblatt Mansion which has been recently reported by the family as being haunted. Since it is still unclear what type of demon is causing trouble, all Exwires have been given the task of identifying the demon and purifying the mansion for the next three days." The young professor smiled, "This will test your knowledge and practical skills that you have learned up till now. So I hope that all of you will treat this mission as an opportunity to learn more and improve on your ability as an exorcist. As supervisors, I, Okumura, as well as Kirigakure-sensei will be coming along."

The busty woman with blazing red hair raised a hand, looking through sleepy eyes at the seven students. "'ello, there." As she spoke, a tiny white and blue speckled bus pulled in beside them and Yukio glanced at his watch.

"That is all for the briefing. If there is anything you have forgotten or must do, please hurry and finish up. Other than that, you may enter the bus now. We will be leaving in ten minutes. Please make sure you are here before 5:30, understood?"

"Yes…!" Came a chorus of the students' voices.

As the group dispersed to collect their bags, Renzou pulled up his own blue duffel bag from the ground and carried it towards the compartment under the bus, where the driver had opened it for them to store their bags under. Ryuuji and Konekomaru were already in front of him, placing their bags into the space before moving on into the bus.

"Rin…!" The pink-haired boy heard Shiemi call out and he glanced over as he slowly placed his own bag into the storage compartment. The blue-haired boy was bouncing over towards the blonde girl in excitement, a wide grin across his face. He was obviously looking forward to the trip. Renzou smiled at the sight before shaking his head and moving towards the entrance into the bus.

As he entered, he noticed that there were enough seats for everyone to have their own. The boy with pink hair grinned. _Nice~ Looks like it won't be such a bad ride after all._ He settled into the seat in front of Ryuuji and sighed in content, feeling his back relax into the chair almost immediately. He glanced outside the window to his left and looked down at the people still standing outside. Yukio and Shiemi were now chatting together cordially while Shura was apparently saying something which was making Rin look quite flustered and annoyed.

Renzou chuckled inwardly, watching the boy's tail shoot straight up. He thought back to the tail emoticon they had used the other night and he snickered. It really did fit Rin… his tail at the moment looked exactly like the emoticon~

The sound of footsteps thumping up the steps into the bus caught his attention and he smiled happily as Izumo appeared. She sent him a stoic stare back. Then she whipped her head away and moved to sit in the seat closest to the front. Renzou scratched at his head.

_Hmm… it's true that I still like girls…_

But somehow, it seemed that his affection felt a bit muted now compared to how he felt before. He sighed loudly. Ahh, that wasn't good. He had to get back to liking girls the most again…

"Nn? You alright there, Shima?" Renzou heard Ryuuji comment from behind and he turned to peer through the crack between the seats.

"Hey there, Bon~ Yeah, you're not tired?" He grinned, "You were up later than me and Koneko-san, right? So excited for the trip you couldn't sleep or somethin'? Ha ha ha~"

"S-Shut up!" The boy with blonde-streaked hair turned pink and spat back at him, "Don't say that about me as if I were still a kid!"

"Ha ha ha~" Renzou continued to laugh as the sounds of feet trampling up the bus steps sent vibrations through the seats again.

"Rin, where do you want to sit? Oh! There's so much space…!" Shiemi gasped as her head peeped up from the entrance. The girl climbed into the seat opposite the aisle from Izumo and Rin climbed up afterwards in a cheery scramble of steps.

"Uwoh! So much space…! Where should I sit?" The boy lifted a hand up over his eyes, surveying the seats carefully.

"Shut up, why're you so noisy this early in the mornin'?" Ryuuji grunted from his seat irritably. Rin jumped in surprise, eyes shooting towards the trio sitting near the middle, and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"S-Sorry…"

Renzou sighed and shook his head.

_No, dude… why're you such a tsundere…? Haah… I have a feeling it's gonna take a long time to get you two together… urgh. Maybe I should give him some advice or somethin'… this total incompetent 'Greenhorn to Love' friend of mine…_

A thump from the seat in front of him pulled him from his thoughts and Renzou looked up in slight surprise. Rin was leaning against the seat and peering down at him happily, tail flitting back and forth in a cheery manner.

"Morning, Shima!"

"A-Aaa, mornin'…! Aha ha…" Renzou greeted back with a confused smile.

_Huh?_

The blue-eyed boy ducked back down into his seat and Renzou could feel the vibrations through his legs as Rin moved about before settling down.

_Wait. He's not sitting somewhere near the front with Moriyama-san?_

Another few trembles went through the bus and the two teachers entered. Yukio politely asked Shiemi and Izumo to move back, in order to free the front seats, and the two left without a complaint, shooting further back into the bus so that they were sitting in the row in front of Rin's seat. As Yukio verified the number of students and signaled for the driver to leave, Renzou leaned an arm against the window sill and placed his chin into his palm. His eyes gazed out the window, watching in a dazed way as the bus pulled away from the curb. He felt his cheeks turn slightly red as his line of vision drifted towards the seat in front of him.

Why was Rin sitting there…? Was it because—no, no, ARGH! He couldn't keep on doing this…!

He forced his eyes to the scenery running past the window, blankly watching as the white buildings and thin trees began to steadily fly past at faster intervals while the engines roared a bit louder from what seemed like the back of the bus. _Stop thinking…! Stop thinking…!_ The pink-haired boy repeated to himself like a mantra.

As they passed under a bridge, he noticed his exhausted reflection staring back at him and he blinked once. _Oh?_ They left the shadow of the bridge and Renzou watched his face disappear. He could still see the slight gleam from his eyes in the window and he glanced slightly in front, waiting for another bridge to appear. After a few minutes, he spotted the next bridge zipping closer. A stupid grin spread across his face.

_Okay… Now!_

But just as he turned his head to face the window to look for his reflection, he noticed a flash of Rin's face in the window just in front of him. Renzou spun his head back to the image of Rin and then pouted when they passed all too quickly through the bridge, causing the reflections to disappear once again. _Dammit…! I just saw him! Okay… the next one, then! The next one, for sure!_

His eyes were fixed unblinkingly up ahead, waiting for another bridge to appear. Then he smacked his head against the window in frustration. No! What was he doing…? He was… he was trying to catch a glimpse of Rin's face in the window…? This was way too stupid!

_Too lovesick, man! You're nuts!_ He scolded himself in shame. But he still couldn't help but peer over and into the window, finding that he could slightly make out the profile of Rin's face and see the bright shine coming from Rin's eyes as he stared out the window eagerly. Renzou felt the blush rise in his cheeks again and he leaned his forehead against the cool glass, feeling considerably better after doing so. His eyes were still on the image of Rin and as a shadow passed over, the image became clearer.

Renzou watched as the other boy blinked out the window, eyes darting back and forth while he stared at the landscape passing by. A smile crinkled up the corners of Renzou's lips and noticing it in his reflection, the pink-haired boy hurriedly lifted a hand up to cover his mouth, leaning his elbow against the window sill to make himself more comfortable. His blush was still burning in his cheeks and he let out a sigh as his eyes moved back. He just couldn't tear them away from Rin's face. The half-demon looked so calm and relaxed… and he just looked so… good?

_I'm sorry… I don't know why but I just can't stop. And I don't want to look away… even though I know I should. Yeah…_

_I shouldn't look…!_

His eyes flickered away for a moment, managing to focus his attention on the scenery outside—which was basically a long and boring tunnel. He tried to watch the little gaps in the walls go by, but within a few seconds, he found himself staring at the blue-eyed boy through the window again.

_Ugh, what am I…? But doing this… it shouldn't be that bad, right?_

He began convincing himself as he continued to appreciate the view of Rin's neck and collarbone… the pointed shape of his ears… and the way his hair stuck up at the ends in odd but cute tufts… the shape of his nose… his eyes, which seemed to twinkle in a melancholy yet hopeful manner… and… the soft curve of his mouth…

_I'm just… lookin' at him. I can at least look at him… right…?_

Suddenly, Rin's eyes shifted and turned from outside the window to right at him. The two boys blinked at each other through their reflections and Renzou flinched in shock, hurriedly averting his eyes so that they were fixed firmly out on the scenery. They were finally out of the tunnel again, thank god. He felt his heart beat rapidly against his ribs and he hastily attempted to count the number of trees and buildings passing by. But no matter what he tried to do, his mind kept pounding out the same phrase:

_Oh shit, he __**saw**__. Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit…!_

For several minutes, there was only silence and the humming of the bus engine. However, after a minute he soon heard shuffling from the seat in front of him. He heard Rin ask curiously, "Hey, Shima, what're you looking at?"

_You. I was lookin' at you… _The boy felt cold sweat run down his neck and he swallowed. _As if I'm ever gonna tell you that though…!_

"A-Aah?" Renzou responded anxiously, "Uhh… nothin'… in particular…"

The blue-eyed boy peered through the cracks between the seats, an unsatisfied frown on his lips, "Mm… but you've been just staring out the window for a while now. I bet you saw something interesting, right?" Rin smiled and counted off on his fingers, "I spotted a lot of weird things, too. Like there was this dog outside that was tripping up his owner and getting the guy all tangled in his leash, ha ha~"

"Oh? That is kinda weird, ha ha…!" The pink-haired boy made himself laugh but his muscles were still tense from the eye-contact they had just shared a while ago. Rin grinned.

"Yeah, it was. So what about you? You were staring for a really long time!"

"Oh… uh," Renzou chuckled nervously, "Actually I was just kinda… blanking out a bit…" The boy gulped, hoping that Rin would accept that type of excuse and not poke any further into the topic.

"Oh…" The blue-eyed boy rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Yeah, your eyes did look kinda stupid when you were staring out the window…"

"W-What? Stupid?" Renzou exclaimed, feeling his anxiety vanish all of a sudden, "M-My eyes aren't stupid!"

Rin pointed a finger at him and chortled, "Gyahaha, they sure looked stupid a few seconds ago~"

"Urgh, you…!"

"Hee hee~"

Renzou frowned for a second. Then, his face split into a smile and he laughed. "Pfft… I can't believe you sometimes…" How was it that his anxiety from before could disappear just like that? It was just like when he spoke with him in Kyoto… all the awkward feelings just immediately mended and became perfectly fine… like the two of them were just naturally supposed to get along like this…

"What?" Rin was still grinning at him in a cheery way. The pink-haired boy shook his head and let out another chuckle.

"Nah, nothin'. You're just weird."

"What? I'm not weird…!"

Renzou smirked and gave the other boy a knowing look. "Sure, sure… you just keep tellin' yourself that."

"I'm not weird, Shima!"

"Ha ha ha~" The pink-haired boy laughed again and then lifted his hands up to cover up the crack Rin was looking through. "Ha! Now you can't see me, you weirdo!"

"Shima! Why you…!" He could almost hear Rin's pout in his voice. The seat suddenly shook a little and Renzou blinked several times.

"Hm? Okumura-kun?"

"Oryaaa—!" Rin suddenly pounced from the side and jumped into the aisle before springing into the seat beside him. Renzou nearly hit his head against the window as he leaped away from the other boy.

"Holy shit! What the hell, Okumura-kun?"

"Now I can see you~" Rin gave him a naughty smirk, tail waving back and forth behind him playfully as he leaned forward on his hands and crept steadily closer. Renzou felt his body heat up and he swallowed. _Oh god… n-no, Okumura-kun… you __**have**__ to go back to your seat…! And don't look at me like that… and don't move your tail like that…! D-Don't come so close…!_

"Would the people who are being so noisy please be quiet? You are disturbing the other students who are attempting to sleep!" A reprimanding voice came from the front of the room and Renzou could almost feel Yukio's glare piercing through the seats to reach him. The two boys immediately silenced themselves, settling into their seats.

"I-Idiot," Renzou nodded at the chair in front of him, "You should go back…"

"Huh? Why? It's easier to talk to you this way." Rin pulled out his cell phone and began clicking away at it. The pink-haired boy watched the other boy with mixed feelings. On one hand, he was absolutely exhilarated that Rin was now sitting beside him. They were sitting so close he could feel the warmth and all the life coming from him… On the other hand, there was… Ryuuji sitting behind and Yukio had also warned them, which meant he had his eye on them as well… this situation was way too risky…! Renzou licked his lips. Right, he had to get him to go back to his seat…!

"No, well… erm, what if we get in trouble again?"

"I'll be quiet, don't worry!" Rin beamed up at him and Renzou had to bite his bottom lip to stop from squealing out loud how cute the boy was. Well… that just put an end to the plan for getting him to go back… Not to mention how suggestive that sentence had just been… it was already stimulating all sorts of scenarios in his mind: mostly centered on them doing forbidden things together in places where they had to remain extra quiet…

The blue-eyed boy lifted up his phone and shuffled closer to him, "Anyway, look at this, Shima. I wanted to compare them with you."

"Huh?" Renzou blushed, trying his best to seem relaxed and casual as Rin's leg brushed up against his. He forcefully fixed his eyes on the screen that was being shown to him and when he finally registered what he saw, he raised an eyebrow. The tail emoticons? "What about them…?"

"I wanted to see if you have any ones that are different from mine." Rin frowned, looking slightly displeased. Renzou stifled a laugh. He was still feeling bitter about the emoticons?

"Sure, ha ha! Hang on a sec…" The pink-haired boy pulled his cell phone from his pants and flicked it open, toggling the screen until it showed the page of tail emoticons. "There, they should be the same…"

"Wait! Turn it over here, I can't see it…!" Rin scowled and leaned in closer. Renzou blushed as the ends of the boy's blue hair flitted across his right cheek for a split second. Rin's warm scent was engulfing him…

"H-Hey! Don't get so close…" He murmured, "I'll turn it alright, so just hang on a minute." The boy with pink hair tilted the screen a bit and watched as Rin studied it closely, eyebrows scrunching together adorably as they carefully scrolled through the two lists. Renzou fought back the need to throw his arms around the blue-eyed boy and pull him in against his chest.

_Argh… damn me. Stop it, Renzou! You already gave up…! Don't touch him… d-don't tou—! No wait… isn't __**he**__ the one who keeps coming closer? Okumura-kun…! Arrrgh… why did we become such close friends again? This… is friggin' painful, man…!_

His free hand, lying on the seat hidden from view, was clenching and unclenching repetitively against the soft fibers of the chair and his heart seemed to be doing the same within his chest cavity.

_What the hell is up with this…? Why do I have to keep feeling like this…?_

Renzou felt Rin grab his hand and pull it closer to his face, muttering a brief, "Stop moving away, I can't see…!" The fingers holding onto his right hand seemed to send a tingling and burning sensation up and down his body, causing his mind to swirl with ecstasy. The pink-haired boy felt his vision swim again. _H-He's just holding my hand…! What the hell! I know I like him… but this is too much…! If this keeps happening… I… I…!_

Rin blinked once and then looked up from the phones to give Renzou a concerned look. "Shima…? Your hand is kind of shaking… are you okay?"

Seeing the worried look in the half-demon's eyes, Renzou gulped.

_I like him, yes… Yes, I do. Probably more than I originally thought… But… I gave up already…! I can't let this keep going!_

_But still…_

"Ahh… O-Okumura-kun… can you… let go of me?" He asked shakily all the while inwardly thinking, "Don't let go! Don't let go!" Rin blinked once and then his cheeks turned pink for a moment before hastily dropping his hand.

"A-Ah. Oh… s-sorry…?" The blue-eyed boy looked down at his lap awkwardly, fidgeting with his phone. Renzou had to fight back the desire to pull the other boy's hand back and entwine their fingers together.

_I don't remember it being this hard to give up…?_

_But I have to…!_

_But… But I… at the same time, I still…!_

The boy with pink hair stared down at the hand that had just touched Rin's. It still felt so nice… and Rin was looking depressed again…

His eyes hurt.

His heart hurt.

And his head was hurting from all of this _**damned**_ indecisiveness…!

_Argh…! Forget it! I'll just… do whatever…! Worry about consequences later!_

Renzou's hand shot out and he grabbed the boy's hand, pulling Rin over towards him, "Sorry, I wasn't sure what was goin' on with me for a minute. Here, you still couldn't see, right?" He slung one arm around Rin's shoulder and lifted his cell phone up, moving his other arm over so that it enclosed the blue-eyed boy in a loose hug. He tucked his chin into the crook of the boy's neck and clicked away at the screen with his thumbs. "Better, yeah?"

He'd think about all those other things later. For now, he would just indulge himself…!

"Ah! Uhh… y-yeah…" He could feel Rin gulp against his arms and he grinned. Oh man, this position was totally giving him dirty thoughts and making him feel like doing pervy things… Was he a genius or what? And now that he let his worries go (well, for now at least), he suddenly felt so at ease… This might not be very friend-like… but then again, who can say it wasn't very friend-like, right? This could be… like… his way of treating friends! Hell yeah…!

The boy with pink hair watched as Rin began relaxing into his arms and the blue-eyed boy lifted his hands up, starting to happily scroll through the emoticons again. Renzou smiled, feeling extremely content. All was suddenly right with the world again…

"Ah! Shima, look!" Rin gasped, jostling Renzou's head slightly, "I think yours are smaller than mine…!"

"Huh? Nah, it's probably the lighting…" He raised an eyebrow and squinted at the screen, looking from his emoticons to Rin's, "Or maybe the model?"

"AH! No fair! You've got one that I don't have!"

"What? That shouldn't… Where…?"

Ryuuji suddenly shot up from his seat, accompanied by a stuttering, "B-Bon!" from Konekomaru. The boy's face looked inexplicably red and he shouted down at the two boys, "W-What the hell are you guys comparing? Ever since before…!"

Renzou and Rin froze, turning to blink up at the flustered looking boy. They lifted up their cell phones and spoke together, "Tail emoticons…?"

The three blinked at each other. Renzou paused. Why was Ryuuji blushing like that…? He attempted to recall their conversation they were having.

Wait… it couldn't be… did it sound like…?

"PFFT!" The pink-haired boy burst out and Ryuuji's face turned a brighter shade of red than the setting sun. "O-Oh…! Oh my** god**! Bon, you…! You thought that we…! PFFT—Aha! AHA HA!"

Rin cocked his head to the right questionably and gave Ryuuji a blank stare. "What the hell just happened…?"

Beads of sweat were running down Ryuuji's head and he hastily released a murmur of, "N-Nothin'! I-It's nothin'…!" He slowly sank down into his seat, quickly shooting Renzou an angry scowl before disappearing from view. The pink-haired boy coughed violently and wiped the tears from his eyes, still attempting to stop his laughter. But at the curious look in Rin's eyes, he felt another round of laughter bubble up in his stomach.

"A-Ack! H-Help… HA HA! Oh god, s-stop… make it… stop… PFFT—! Bon, you…!"

"Shut up!" Came the boy's voice from behind and Renzou squashed down another fit of giggles. Rin crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.

"Why are you laughing so much, Shima?"

"Heh…! O-Okumura-kun…" The pink-haired boy slung his arm over Rin's shoulder again, this time with a scheming look across his face, "Bon, he… he… pffft…! He thought we were comparing our—"

"SHIMA, SHUT UP!"

"HEY! You three! Didn't we tell y'all not to disturb people who're trying ter sleep? Do you WANT punishment that badly? DO YOU?"

"Ah! My apologies…" Ryuuji stood up and bowed quickly before plopping back down in his seat heavily. Renzou stifled the last of his chuckles and let out a deep sigh.

"Oh man… that was hilarious…"

Rin gave him an annoyed look. "Yeah, but I totally didn't get that…"

Renzou met the other boy's look with an amused one. Then, he sat up straight and hooked an arm around Rin's neck, pulling him over to give him a messy tousle of his hair. "Ha ha~ It's okay, it wasn't that important anyway. Better if you don't know, too~"

"Uwah! S-Shima… let… let go!" The blue-eyed boy wrestled with pushing away the pink-haired boy's persistent hands, attempting to do so from his uncomfortable position. At last, Renzou released Rin and one boy wore a wide grin as the other glared back with an unhappy pout. After staring at each other in what seemed like a stale-mate of expressions, Rin suddenly yawned widely, showing off the cute canine teeth in his mouth. Renzou smiled warmly.

"Sleepy, eh~?"

"Yeah…" The blue-eyed boy rubbed at one eye and wiped at the tears beginning to form, "Didn't get much sleep last night, actually… heh heh. You?"

"Me? Ehh, I got an okay amount… but I do feel a bit sleepy now, after lookin' at you, haha~"

"Let's go to sleep then!" Rin grinned toothily and then leaned back in his seat. He yawned again and after wiping away the tears of sleep, his eyes fluttered shut. "Night…"

Renzou watched the other boy's actions with care, and then smiled again when Rin closed his eyes peacefully. _He's… so cute. I could just kiss him right now…_

But he swallowed his desires back down into the depths of his body.

"Night~" The pink-haired boy settled into his own seat, keeping the images of Rin within his mind as he dozed off into the serene atmosphere.

As the bus began making its way up a rocky slope, and as he continued to oscillate between reality and his dreams, Renzou noticed that Rin's head had somehow slipped from its original position and had shifted to leaning onto his shoulder. The boy with pink hair smiled sleepily, staring at the tufts of dark blue hair through bleary eyes. Then, he leaned his temple against the top of the other boy's hair. He snuggled into the comfortable warmth and adjusted contently to the gentle weight pressing against him, all the while wishing that this moment could last for just a minute, or if not at least a few seconds, longer.

.:.


	7. Chapter 7

.:.

The door to the bus opened with a small release of air and the people within filed out quickly, all eager to begin with their new mission. Rin hopped out and threw his hands up in the air.

"We're here! Woah, look at that place… it's huge…!"

"Oi, don't block the doorway…" Ryuuji sighed and the blue-eyed boy grinned back at him before jogging off towards the storage compartment to collect his bag. Renzou lifted a hand up over his eyes and observed the humongous mansion sitting grandly within a semi-circle of trees.

"Wow… is this seriously still Japan? Who builds mansions like these?" He whistled, scanning the soft white color of the stone walls and attempting to compare the size of the mansion to their temple in Kyoto. "Maybe… two times? No… three? Three times larger…?"

"Oi, Shima, catch!" Renzou turned, hearing Ryuuji's voice, and then promptly got hit in the face by his duffel bag. The pink-haired boy caught the bag in his arms as it fell and he sent his friend a deadpan look, nose burning from being smashed in.

"Nice throw, dude… nice throw."

"Sorry…" Ryuuji muttered and glanced down at the floor guiltily. A bead of sweat ran down the back of Renzou's head and he laughed nervously.

"Aha ha, it's… it's okay, Bon! I know you didn't mean it, alright? No need to apologize…"

"Well… it kind of _was_ on purpose…" The boy with blonde-streaked hair scowled at him accusingly and Renzou rubbed the back of his head.

"Alright, sorry, sorry. I was kinda mean earlier on the bus, wasn't I~?"

Yeah, and he had indulged a bit too much. Right in front of his best friend, too… He had to work harder towards getting Rin and Ryuuji closer together from now on!

Ryuuji didn't answer for a moment. Then, his eyes fell to the ground again. "Uh… Shima, actually I think—"

"Alright! Hurry and get your bags together. There is no time to lose, understood?" Yukio's voice interrupted their conversation and caught the attentions of everyone. He continued in a firm tone, "The males and females will be split into separate rooms so please be aware that you will be sharing with others and will not have individual rooms. The family also wishes that we keep most things untouched for the duration of our stay, so keep that in mind while we are conducting investigations and using their bathhouse. Now, if you are all ready, boys will follow me while the girls will follow Kirigakure-sensei. We will meet in half an hour in the dining room for a brief lunch before splitting into reconnaissance teams."

As their professor ended, Renzou glanced back at Ryuuji.

"What were you sayin' again?"

"Ah… nevermind. It's nothin' really…"

The pink-haired boy raised an eyebrow. Then, he shrugged. Hmm, well if it was really important, the guy would surely speak up again about it. There was no need to give it too much thought.

After gathering their bags and thanking the driver, the group entered the entrance hallway leading into the main lobby. They gaped at the old and majestic tapestries hanging from the walls and walked gingerly on the dark blue carpet covering the marble flooring. When they reached the main lobby, where a grand marble staircase split the room in two, Yukio and Shura diverged paths.

"See you later, Shiemi!" Renzou watched as Rin waved at the girls, who were leaving with Shura towards the hallway on the right. The pink-haired boy chuckled dryly to himself. Right… actually, if he thought it over clearly, the person most likely to get together with Rin was probably Shiemi, huh… He seemed to show the most interest in her out of everyone after all, so those two becoming an item was not so far-fetched… especially if Shiemi liked Rin… From the corners of his eyes, he noticed that both Ryuuji and Yukio were both watching the blue-eyed boy and the small girl with stony faces. He idly wondered if perhaps he had the same face on as well.

Shiemi smiled and sent a small wave in return.

"See you, Rin!"

"What about me? I don't get a 'See you later', eh? _Okumura-kun_?"

Renzou snorted as the blue-eyed boy gulped and his tail flinched, "Ah, uh! Shu-Shura! See you… later…!"

"Hya hya hya, you actually said it. Ehh, whatever. Go follow the scaredy-cat four-eyes already, Rin." The red-haired woman flicked one hand away in dismissal, then she paused to glance up thoughtfully, "Ah. Unless you want to join us girls, that is… but you'd have to dress as a girl! Nya ha ha ha! All yer gotta do is change your bottoms into a skirt. I think I have some special ones you can borrow~"

Rin turned pink and he shouted back with a flustered, "Who the hell wants to do that!" before hastily skittering over to Yukio, who seemed to be sending an annoyed but red-faced look in her direction.

At Shura's words, Renzou's mind suddenly began working to imagine Rin in a skimpy skirt. He nearly spewed blood from his nose. W-What…? A skirt… on Rin? Rin… with a skirt? Why hadn't his mind come up with that yet? It was… beautiful!

_**Beautiful…! **_

Well… okay, maybe it was more perverse and sexy than beautiful… but, he could just picture Rin trying to pull down the front of the skirt over as much of his bare thighs as possible. He'd be blushing like a cherry to ends of his ears. Then he'd probably stutter something like, "W-What the hell? Isn't this skirt way too short…?" and, "D-Don't look, idiot! P-Pervert!" and then glare at him with accusing and teary eyes…

He heard a low whistle from Shura and he blinked out from his stupor, glancing in the direction of the woman. She sent him an amused look and he felt his blood freeze.

_Oh man… she knows, doesn't she…_

"Heh heh… you boys are an interestin' bunch, aren't ya…"

Renzou swore he could hear nearly all the males in the room swallow simultaneously. Yukio coughed into one fist quickly.

"Ahem, well then… we've wasted enough time." The green-eyed professor scuttled towards the left hallway and waited as the boys followed afterward with haste. Renzou could hear Shura's low chuckle as she said a foreboding, "Oh no, yer won't. I'm not lettin' go of this so easily, nyahaha~" The pink-haired boy gulped and picked up his pace, trying to get himself out of Shura's line of sight as soon as possible.

After entering the left hallway from the main lobby, the boys found themselves walking through a wide corridor with walls painted an eerie dusk red. It was an odd change from the previous royal blue that seemed to be the color scheme for the main lobby and main entrance. Renzou stared at the walls curiously. Perhaps the hallway the girls went down were the same color… or would it be different? Maybe he could check it out later…

Several empty suits of samurai armor sat lined up against one side of the wall and the boys passed through, staring at them in awe.

"W-Woah… this place is awesome…" Rin murmured softly, head swiveling about and glancing at the paintings hanging from the walls.

Renzou gawked at the assortment of weapons being displayed in glass cases, "This is more like a museum than a place to live in…"

"Well, the Rosenblatt family has contributed a few of their collections to museums across the world actually. They're quite known for their ardent love of collecting things… It seems to be an odd 'trait' that has been passed down through their family for generations. That is why there is always the occasional request from them to check their house; I assume that they sometimes collect things that have yet to be fully purified…" Yukio explained calmly while opening a door flanked by two statues of angels. "This will be our sleeping quarters."

The walls inside were a light cream color and a large crystal light hung from the middle of the ceiling, illuminating the room warmly. There were three beds, all with white tulle canopies, and a long sofa was against one side, sitting snug between an old cherry wood bookshelf and a large wardrobe. The boys piled their baggage in one of the empty corners of the room and then glanced at the beds. Ryuuji raised a hand.

"Uh, sensei. There aren't enough beds for all of us…?"

Yukio nodded, "Yes, unfortunately the Rosenblatts were unwilling to give us more than two guest rooms. One for the boys and another for the girls. There are exactly three beds for the girls but… for us, we will have to either share or two people can go take the sofa while the last person takes the carpet."

Renzou blinked. Then, he sent a smirk in Ryuuji's direction. After catching the boy's eye, he winked at him, nodding towards Rin suggestively. Ryuuji's face immediately turned red and he shook his head fervently in refusal. The pink-haired boy sent his friend an exasperated look. _Seriously, dude? C'mon, this is no time to be shy! If you don't hurry and ask, I'll ask instead…!_

Ryuuji seemed to understand and then slowly raised a hand, albeit reluctantly, "Uh… I'd be willing to… erm… share with someone."

Renzou smacked a palm against his forehead. _No, you idiot! You should've gone to ask Okumura-kun to share with you…! Come up with some excuse like, "Let's get to know each other better~" No wait… that would sound kinda fishy in that context…_

Rin grinned and raised his hand as well, "Oh! I don't mind sharing either. Yukio and I can sleep together. We did it a lot back when we were kids, right?" He turned to beam expectantly at his twin brother and Yukio's eyes widened, looking slightly startled. The boy hastily fixed his glasses and nodded calmly.

"Ah. Yes. That is true… it shouldn't be a problem to share again… ahem."

Renzou frowned to himself. Oh hell no! This couldn't be happening…! Rin and Yukio were going sleep together for the next two nights… right before his eyes? No friggin' way…! He was about to speak up in protest when suddenly, Konekomaru burst out.

"N-No! I…! I want to sleep next to Okumura-kun, too!" He exclaimed, fisting his hands and scrunching his eyes together in a brave act, "And besides, won't it be more fun for Okumura-kun to sleep beside another person instead of Okumura-sensei all the time? So… so…" He smiled nervously, "… we should rotate… erm… maybe… we can do a straw-picking thing and decide like that…?"

Rin's tail perked up in interest while Yukio's eyes narrowed slightly.

Renzou grinned, nodding at Konekomaru in acknowledgement. _Nice save, dude!_ _And now it's my turn~ Before Okumura-sensei says anything…!_ He dug around in his bag and pulled out the disposable chopsticks he had prepared the night before.

"I thought these might come in handy~ Here! I made these last night. We can pick who'll be sharin' with who by drawing the same colors," He showed the ends of the chopsticks where each pair was colored differently. The boy separated three sets from the bundle of four and then mixed them up in his hands, carefully concealing the colored ends. "How about it? Wanna try this?"

"Y-Yeah!" Rin had his eyes fixed on Renzou's hand, face lit up in excitement and tail waggling back and forth enthusiastically. Yukio let out a reluctant 'hmph' of agreement and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Let's draw for today and then draw again tomorrow to decide who will be sleeping with who tomorrow, too. What do ya say?" A round of nods came from the boys and Renzou grinned happily, moving to each person. He watched as Konekomaru drew the purple-colored stick and Ryuuji drew the green-colored one. He went over to Yukio and the two shared a look of dislike before the boy drew out a blue-colored stick. Renzou stared at it and pouted. Damn, looks like all of the colors had been drawn… which meant he wouldn't be able to sleep beside Rin tonight.

_Ah well… at least let's hope Okumura-kun draws green…! Draw green, Okumura-kun…!_

Takara stared at the sticks through his usual squinted eyes and then moved towards the sofa silently. Beads of sweat ran down the group's heads and Renzou laughed uncertainly. Well… at least that meant someone would be getting a bed all to themselves…?

Rin stared at the three sticks left in the pink-haired boy's hand eagerly. A sudden surge of tension had risen in the room but the half-demon paid no heed to it, focusing only on the small game. Renzou smirked and lifted his hand to the half-demon.

"Stop starin' and pick one already, Okumura-kun~"

He was able to speak in a confident and calm tone but his pulse was slamming anxiously against his ribs. Rin lifted his hands and the boys involuntarily leaned in closer. His fingers were hovering over the sticks indecisively.

"Hmm… okay… I want…" The boy stuck out his tongue in concentration, then finally grabbed one stick with resolution, "THIS ONE!" There was a collective gulp as he wrenched the chopstick out and Renzou stared at the color with hope.

Blue.

The pink-haired boy spun away and then dropped to the floor, smacking one hand against it in frustration as Rin lifted the stick towards Yukio. The boy was smiling brightly, exclaiming a happy, "Ha ha! We picked the same one, Yukio~ As expected of twin brothers, right? Hee hee."

"It was just coincidence." Yukio rolled his eyes, but he wore a pleased smile on his face. Konekomaru rushed towards Renzou—followed by a slightly disappointed but somehow amused looking Ryuuji—and whispered in a worried tone.

"A-Are you alright, Shima-san?"

"Argh… I'm sorry, Bon…! I failed you…!" The boy with pink hair cried, unable to accept this outcome. Ryuuji snorted and shrugged his shoulders.

"Eh, it's alright… there's still tomorrow. Anyway, stop making a scene, idiot. And draw already, you still haven't yet."

"Oh right…" Renzou sniffed and picked out the second to last chopstick. Green. The boy groaned and glanced at Rin, who was chattering with Yukio as they decided on a bed to sleep in. "You were supposed to pick this one, dammit…! Agh…"

"Heh, looks like we're sharin' tonight then." The boy with blonde-streaked hair let out a wry laugh and jabbed a thumb towards the beds, "Which one?"

"Hmm…" Renzou lifted himself from the ground and studied the beds, "What about you, Koneko-san?"

The small boy smiled and shook his head. "I'll wait until you all decide."

Rin bounded over, pulling Yukio along, and he noticed the chopstick in Renzou's hand. "Ah, you finished drawing, Shima?"

"Yeah, ha ha…" The pink-haired boy let out a few short laughs as he lifted a hand to rub the back of his head, "I'm with Bon tonight."

"It'll be just like those sleepovers again." Ryuuji smirked and Renzou grinned back.

"Oh yeah, like when we were kids. You used to come over to our place all the time, huh."

"Sleepover?" Rin looked between the two curiously. Renzou laughed and folded his arms up behind his head, reminiscing.

"Yeah, we used to pull all our futons together and play games late into the night. With Juu-nii and Kin-nii, too. Sometimes Koneko-san would also come over~ It was pretty fun. And Ma would always make a whole bunch of snacks for us, wouldn't she~"

"Oh! Yeah…" Konekomaru laughed into one hand, "It was really fun. And it was really funny when a fly would come in to bother us… the three of you guys would get so surprised, ha ha."

"Koneko-san…" The pink-haired boy felt a bead of sweat run down his head. That wasn't funny… at least not for him and his brothers…

There was a sweet moment of silence as they thought back to the good old times in the temple. Then, Renzou blinked when he realized Rin was being abnormally quiet. He glanced towards the boy and then bit back a blush when he saw the overly excited and almost child-like look in Rin's eyes.

"L-Let's have a sleepover…!" The half-demon balled his fists together. The rest of the boys raised their eyebrows and answered back with a collective, "Hah?" Rin rushed towards the beds and began shoving them together. Yukio's mouth fell open, and the green-eyed boy was mimicked shortly afterward by the trio.

_What is he…?_

"B-Brother! What are you doing? Didn't I tell you that the Rosenblatts wanted their things to be left relatively untouched while they let us stay here?"

"Relax, Yukio!" Rin smiled smugly as he pushed the three beds together effortlessly, "I'll put them back before we leave. Don't worry, they won't notice a thing!"

"Ugh…" The young professor planted his face into the palm of his hand. Not hearing another word of complaint, Rin placed his sword against the beds, a look of satisfaction on his face. Then, he threw himself onto the middle bed, shirt flying up and settling just above his waistline so that the bottom of his midriff was exposed. He snuggled into the puffy covers and sprawled himself out over the sheets—causing his shirt to ride up a bit higher—and he sent a content smile back at the other boys, tail feeling about on the sheets languidly.

"Hee hee, let's take the middle bed, Yukio! I want to sleep next to everyone, too!"

There was a golden moment of silence as the boys standing in front of the beds simply stared. Then…

_Guh—!_

Renzou had to clamp a hand over his mouth to muffle the strangled noise coming from his throat. How was Rin… so cute, yet so _freakin'_ **erotic** at the same time…? And he wasn't even trying…!

There was the faint sound of spectacles breaking and he noticed that Ryuuji was also clamping his hands over his mouth, eyes fixated on Rin as his face flushed a deep red. Even Konekomaru looked slightly pink in the cheeks, unable to escape from how utterly desirable Rin looked at the moment.

The blue-eyed half-demon gave them each a perturbed look and raised an eyebrow curiously. He sat up on his elbows, clothes and hair now more disheveled than usual, and he frowned, "What the hell? What's wrong, guys? You're all like freakishly red and just standing there like statues… and wait, Yukio? What happened to your glasses?"

A pink tinge lit up Yukio's ears and he coughed quickly, "No, nothing. I just need to replace them… excuse me." And with that, he quickly took off for the corner of the room where they had piled their bags.

Rin quirked his lips to the side in confusion and then pulled himself upright, glancing towards the Kyoto trio. "So, did you guys decide where to sleep? Right side or left side?"

"Uhh…" Ryuuji replied, slowly bringing his hands down from his mouth and attempting to look more normal, "Aahh…" Unfortunately, it seemed like his mind was still not ready for answering questions. Renzou also nodded numbly, feeling just as 'out of commission' as the other boy did. Konekomaru was the first to return a proper answer.

"Ahh, uh, Okumura-kun… why don't you choose for us… ha ha…?"

Rin blinked. Then, he scratched his cheek a few times before shrugging. "Hmm… okay… Konekomaru gets the right side, here!" He smacked his hands onto the bed to the left side of the room, closest to the window. Then he crawled towards the bed on the right side and grinned as he slapped one hand on the covers. His tail fluttered against the sheets happily and he turned towards Renzou and Ryuuji, "And Suguro and Shima get the left side~"

"O-Okay…" Was all they could say in return as their hearts flopped pathetically. Yukio returned, now sporting a new pair of glasses, and he glanced at his watch in irritation.

"We'll be late if we don't leave now. Is everyone ready? And Okumura-kun, please get off the bed, **now**."

"Ah…! Sorry… sensei." Rin gulped, noticing that Yukio had gone back into his teacher-mode. He scrambled off the bed and retrieved his sheathed sword from where he had left it, shouldering it promptly.

"Good." Yukio nodded and then stared at the blue-eyed boy for a lingering moment. A second passed and he whipped his head away, facing the door as his ears turned pink again, "Ahem… right then… let's group up with the girls and have a quick lunch before beginning with the investigations."

There was a chorus of 'Yes's from the boys and they swiftly left the room, slowly starting to regain their senses and sink back into the normal routine of completing exorcist duties once again.

.:.

Lunch had been brief and fairly awkward what with all the amused looks Shura had been sending towards the three love-sick boys. Renzou remembered gulping down his food, not really noticing what he was tasting because he was trying his best not to look extremely nervous under the woman's scrutinizing gaze. The boy was greatly relieved when Yukio began dividing the groups into pairs: Rin with Izumo, Ryuuji with Shiemi, Konekomaru with Shura (because the young professor refused to let _**that**_ woman run off on her own), and him with Takara. To say that the investigations went smoothly and at a minimum noise level was an understatement.

By dinner time, they had managed to clear out most of the first floor—all the way from the front lobby to the very deepest rooms of the mansion. Most of the demons they found consisted of coal tar clusters and several hobgoblins that were nesting in the dusty ceilings. The only demon that was of higher level was an old spirit resting within one of the large ceramic pots, which had been moving things around and hoarding artifacts that it had gathered from other rooms. Rin and Izumo had to chase it up and down the corridors before they could exorcise it and figure out where to return the found artifacts.

They were finally sitting down for dinner. Renzou relaxed into one of the hard-backed chairs and sighed happily with eyes closed, feeling his sore legs throb pleasantly after having trekked through so many rooms and corridors. He cracked open his eyes and stared up at the cream-colored ceiling and the overly lavish chandelier twinkling back down at him.

_Whew… what a day._

He heard the squeak of chair legs against the tiled floor and glanced over to find Yukio settling into a seat at the end of the table. The young man was smiling in satisfaction and he nodded as more people joined him at the table.

"Well, today was quite nice, wasn't it?" The green-eyed professor began as Ryuuji and Konekomaru sat down for dinner. Shura and Takara had already been seated along with Renzou while Rin and the girls were in the kitchen preparing dinner. Yukio hummed to himself thoughtfully, "Perhaps I should continue to put you all in the same pairs from now on…"

Beads of sweat ran down Renzou's head. Yes… things had gone a bit _too_ nicely… or rather, there had been so little conversation between them, if any at all, that there was no possible way trouble could be stirred up…

Shiemi appeared from the kitchens, holding up a platter of steamed vegetables. She smiled warmly and placed the plate in the middle of the table, saying a simple, "Rin's almost done with the main dish but for now please enjoy this with the rice." Shortly after that, Izumo hobbled out with a large tub of rice in both of her hands. Shiemi rushed over to help but Rin peered out, using one hand to lift the tub from the girl's hands.

"Ah? Didn't I say to wait for me?" The blue-eyed boy pouted and then handed a steaming pot of thinly sliced meat and various ingredients, which he had been holding in his other hand, to the girl, "That thing's pretty heavy so I'll take it." Izumo's cheeks turned pink and she let out a _humph!_ before reluctantly taking the offered pot. Rin turned to grin toothily at the people sitting and he happily proclaimed, "We're having sukiyaki~!"

Renzou smiled back at the excited boy, a bit annoyed at how charming he was being to the girls, but nevertheless glad to see his joyful face. Rin blinked in surprise and he quickly set the tub of rice next to Yukio, having realized something. He shot back into the kitchen, yelping a nervous, "Uwah! The noodles…!"

The girls settled into two of the remaining seats and then the group stared at the food, wondering if it were okay to start without the person who had made it all. Shura, never being one to care for such formalities, immediately lifted her bowl up and spooned a large helping of rice for herself.

"Nyahaha~ If yer don't start soon, I'll eat it all, ya know?" She smirked at the others. Yukio sent her a displeased frown. But Takara was the next to start filling his bowl. Soon, Rin returned with a steaming pot of noodle soup and he quickly placed it in the center of the table so he could scoot in between Shiemi and Shura. The boy lifted his bowl and chopsticks, chanting a cheery, "Sukiyaki~ Sukiyaki~" Shiemi offered to fill his bowl and he obliged, handing it to her all the while eyeing the pot of meat eagerly.

A cordial atmosphere immediately surrounded them and blissful sighs sprang up around the table, all enjoying the half-demon's cooking. As soon as the comfortable aura settled among them, Shura began glancing at three particular boys again. Renzou managed to take a bite of meat before nearly choking when he noticed the half-lidded look he was receiving from the woman with flame-red hair.

_N-Not again…!_

The pink-haired boy's eyes darted towards Rin and then shot towards Shura in fear, realizing that she was still staring at him. _Shit! Now she definitely knows…! Gahh… s-s-she won't tell Okumura-kun, will she…? Oh god…_ He wanted to cry. The chopsticks in his hands were shaking. Renzou willed them to stop and he felt his muscles relax in slight relief as they managed to still. Thankfully, Shura's eyes had also shifted off of him and were now fixed on Ryuuji, whom he noticed was sweating profusely while attempting to chew his food at a normal rate. As her eyes finally landed on Yukio—who was keeping his eyes on his bowl while his back looked abnormally stiff—she began in a low drawl.

"Oi, Rin…"

The blue-eyed boy looked up from his bowl of rice and sukiyaki, cheeks full of food, and then turned towards the woman sitting to his right, a look of curiosity on his face.

"Nm?"

Renzou's heart seemed to be pounding loudly in his ears when he heard both of their voices. No way… she wouldn't tell him right here, would she? No way… no way… this **couldn't** be happening…! He noticed that both Ryuuji and Yukio were also staring at the woman with wide eyes. Shura's lips seemed to move in slow motion.

"If… your bro, Suguro, and Shima were girls..." She began with a sly grin, leaning over to toss an arm around the blue-eyed boy, "Which would you like more~?" The woman's eyes shot towards them and Renzou could feel his body temperature rise drastically. He wasn't sure if it were due to embarrassment or anger… perhaps a mix of both.

Rin still had his bowl and chopsticks in his hands. Then, a small blush lit up his cheeks.

"H-Huh…? Wha? Wait, why can't they be guys…?" The boy stared at the three males in confusion. Upon seeing Rin's eyes on him, Renzou immediately turned his attention on the food and shoved a mouthful in to avoid speaking. He heard Shura laugh and then say in a teasing way, "Ohh~ Aren't you guys lucky~? Nyahahaha!" The pink-haired boy hoped his ears weren't turning red the way Yukio's were…

Shura rolled her eyes and squeezed the boy's neck with her arm playfully. "Geez, don't play dumb, Rin. Okay, how 'bout this: if they were girls, which one would yer wanna **date** the most~?"

"Shura-san! What are you saying? Why are you…?" Yukio erupted, a full blown blush rushing across his cheeks. Rin's face was turning red as well and Konekomaru's eyes darted from person to person as he ate at his food anxiously. Shiemi was confused, staring between the boys and Shura with a hint of shock in her eyes; Izumo merely raised an eyebrow at the blushing males.

"Uhh… uhh… w-what?" Rin nearly dropped his chopsticks and his eyes jumped from Renzou to Ryuuji to Yukio and then back again, repeating the cycle over and over while looking at each of them with round eyes. "W-Why are you asking me this…?"

Shura grinned.

"Just a bit of fun~ So? Who's it gonna be, Rin?"

Renzou's mind was whirling. _Agh! What is she saying? If we were girls… she's gonna make Okumura-kun pick one of us? Ugh… n-no! I don't want to hear him pick…! And wait! Doesn't this give the impression that I also like him, too? Shit, I can't let Bon and sensei think that I do…! _The boy with pink hair was about to exclaim loudly, "Why are you using me as an example?" when Rin began again in a timid voice.

"W-Well… hmm… agh, this is embarrassing…"

"C'mon~ It's not fer real. So let's hear it!" Shura coaxed the boy none too gently. Rin's cheeks glowed and he stared down at his bowl, not daring to look up.

"Ohh… mm… well… if… if there was a Yukio girl, I guess she'd be kinda… cute… but cool, too… I-I dunno…" He coughed and scratched at his cheek nervously, "And a girl Suguro would be really awesome and cool… really smart and probably really pretty, too… eheh… heh… uhh, as for a girl Shima… a girl Shima would be…" His cheeks turned a brighter red and he looked away. He mumbled the last word out so quietly, the people at the table almost misheard it. But because of the tense silence that had risen, it had been easy enough to hear it: "…hot." Then he twisted towards Shura, exclaiming a loud and hasty, "But that's only because he's a huge pervert and perverted girls are kinda hot, okay?"

The table fell into a deep and awkward silence. Most of the faces sitting around the table were also tainted a dark red. Then Shura broke the silence by laughing until tears came from her eyes.

"Oh, Rin… yer…! Yer… an amazin' idiot…!"

Rin's mouth snapped open to protest. But then he grumbled as his cheeks turned a feverish red and he returned to his food.

"A-Anyway… I wouldn't know who to… umm… _d-date_… unless I knew them better… hmph. Liking people… isn't all about preferences, you know…" He trailed off as he tried to fork a clump of rice into his mouth. But his hand was shaking violently, so he missed and the rice fell back into his bowl. The boy stared at it with red cheeks and then peered up at the three boys with a meek and apologetic look.

Renzou felt his grip on his chopsticks spasm quickly and then almost loosen to the degree of falling out. Rin was being so incredibly and utterly cute and… and…!

_H-Hot? He thinks I'm… __**hot**__…? W-Well, the girl version of me… but still…!_ The pink-haired boy gulped as a bubbling feeling rose in his chest. This… was totally awesome…! Then again… the only reason Rin called him that was due to his 'bad habits'… He wouldn't deny it though, he _**was**_ a pretty big pervert… had always been one for as long as he could remember… and he would be more than happy to hit on the blue-eyed half-demon if he could; he would do all sorts of suggestive things to Rin… He felt searing gazes on him and turned, swallowing heavily when he found both Ryuuji and Yukio's eyes on him. They were staring at him as though saying, "_Don't get too carried away… __**we**__ can be perverted, too. Bastard…!_"

Cold sweat beaded across his forehead and he sent them a shaky smile, hoping to get the phrase, "_Don't take it so seriously, guys…!_" across to them. But he only received fiercer looks in return. He laughed nervously and sighed as unhappy tears fell in streams from his eyes. _Dammit… back to square one…?_

"I-I'm done… thanks for the food…!" Rin slapped his bowl and chopsticks down onto the table, surprising everyone. Shura smacked a hand against his back and nodded.

"Good, then why don't yer go an' take yer bath first? The bathhouse looked great when I went to check earlier~ You girls can leave early, too, since the three of ya took care of the food. These guys'll stay behind an' take care of the dishes."

Rin smiled at that, demeanor immediately brightening at the prospect of an amazing bath. He nodded. "Ah, okay! Thanks…! Wahoo, bath~" And with that, he bounded off, tail waggling behind him in excitement.

"I'm finished, too. Thank you for the food…!" Shiemi pulled away from the table and chased after the blue-eyed boy with a quick, "It was delicious!" as she disappeared out the dining room doors.

"Thank you for the food…" Izumo stood up from her chair and then nodded towards the teachers before excusing herself from the table to follow after the other two. There was a snap and then an unmistakable fizzling sound of compressed air escaping from a can of chuuhai. Shura gulped down a mouthful and sighed loudly.

"Aah~ This is great…!" The woman chuckled and then sent a lazy gaze towards the three boys, "So, heeeyy~ Didn't you guys hear…? Rin. Is. Taking. A. Bath. Nyaha~ Wouldn't you like to see, you pervs? Ah wait, but since seeing wouldn't be that big of a deal among guys… don't tell me you'd rather… _touch_~?"

Ryuuji's face turned red and he quickly gathered the nearest plates and utensils to take into the kitchen. Renzou hastily finished his bowl of food, bringing his own dishes over as well. He was followed by a timid looking Konekomaru on his heels as Yukio scowled and clenched a fist around his chopsticks firmly, looking as though he were about to snap them in half. As the trio entered the kitchen, they could hear the two beginning to duke it out at the dining table.

"Shura-san, you… I've had enough of you speaking like that…!"

"Whaaat~?" Shura took another swig from the can of alcohol and laughed, "Fer pointin' out the obvious? Aww, don't tell me wittle scaredy-cat four eyes is embarrassed from thinkin' dirty things about his big brother~?"

"YOU…!"

Renzou gulped as he heard Yukio's voice turn menacing. He scurried towards the sink where Ryuuji was standing with his back faced towards the door and ears an irregular color of red. The pink-haired boy sidled beside his friend and let out a sigh, leaning his back against the counter after passing his portion of plates and bowls over.

"Man… thank god we're out of there, huh…"

"… yeah." Ryuuji murmured back quietly as he slipped the plates and bowls under a jet of water. Konekomaru grabbed the sponge nearby and began soaping the plates dutifully, but his eyes darted from the door to Ryuuji and Renzou. When the room grew silent, save for the shouts coming from the dining room, the pink-haired boy felt the back of his neck prickle in anxiety.

Right… Ryuuji must've gotten the idea that he liked Rin as well by now… but hopefully it wasn't too late to explain that Shura was only joking…

He turned towards the boy with blonde-streaked hair, hands raised to clarify the situation with a laugh. But Ryuuji interrupted him.

"So… sensei likes Okumura? His own… brother?"

Renzou choked back his words and stared at his friend with round eyes. Thank god… he wasn't talking about him… ah, but he still couldn't let out Yukio's secret. The boy with pink hair dropped his gaze and turned away, chuckling hesitantly. He scratched his cheek with an index finger, "Aah… w-well… I dunno about that…"

"… and I was right." Ryuuji sighed, hands halting their movements in the sink. The boy turned to give his friend a hard stare, "You… _do_ like Okumura. Don't you?"

Renzou felt his entire body grow cold, blood draining from each vessel like the way water was sapped away by dry earth. His skin and fingers grew numb. His mind told him that he had been hit by something but he knew that nothing had actually physically harmed him. The boy felt himself go on automatic mode: lift a hand up to rub the back of your head, laugh it off.

"Hah! No, didn't I tell you already, Bon? You totally got the wrong—"

"Shima-san…" He was cut off by Konekomaru's gentle voice. He turned to give the small boy a bewildered stare and Konekomaru continued, eyebrows drawn together, "It's okay, Shima-san."

Ryuuji continued to look at him. It wasn't a look of anger. Nor was it disappointment. It was just… what was it? Pity? Concern…? The boy with blonde-streaked hair suddenly broke off the stare and then sighed heavily.

"S-Sorry, Bon…" Renzou immediately whimpered when he saw the other boy turn away, feeling horrible for betraying his best friend, "I… I…! B-But don't worry! I've given up already so—!"

"I don't wanna hear it!" Ryuuji grunted out loudly as he returned to the dishes, handling it rougher than before. Renzou bit his lip and stared at the other boy with trembling eyes. Shit… what was gonna happen now…? He hated him, didn't he? He totally lied to him… and now he knew that they both liked the same person…

"You're… such an idiot!" The boy with blonde-streaked hair suddenly spat out irritably, "What the hell are you thinkin'? Giving up so easily… if you do that… you… don't deserve him at all! Do you really like him? How can you just _give up_ on him? Or what, was he just some guy you found attractive and you wanted to try **fucking** him for fun or somethin'? Since you can give him up so easily… he's just like any other bitch out there to you, is he?" He sneered with disgust, "Because it's too bothersome to fight for some guy you just wanna play around with, right?"

Renzou's eyes snapped open, a feeling of horror striking him after every word. "N-No! That's not—! Okumura-kun isn't—!"

"Then shut the fuck up already. You know what to do." Ryuuji smirked and handed one of the clean dishes towards Renzou, "I ain't gonna lose so easily, ya know. What, you think you've got a better chance than me so you have to pull out for me? Heh… Who do you think you are?"

Konekomaru chuckled and shook his head, "Bon…"

Renzou gaped open-mouthed at his friends. "I… I…" His hand slowly reached for the clean plate and as soon as the cool ceramic touched his fingers, a faint blush bloomed across his cheeks. "I… got it." Then, he laughed, "I… won't hold back anymore then~?"

"Bring it on, idiot." Ryuuji snorted and then turned back to washing off the soap suds from the bowls. Renzou grinned, feeling as though his feet were floating above ground and that his heart was suddenly _so_ light. The boy dried off the wet plate and stared down into the faint reflection of his face in the white ceramic.

_Bon… you're amazin'. I'm… so pathetic. But…_ Renzou sighed and then smiled as he set the plate down in one of the racks to dry. _…thanks._

_I… won't give up!_

.:.


	8. Chapter 8

.:.

"Hoh~ Sorry 'bout interruptin' yer beautiful moment of friendship but…"

The trio jumped in surprise. They turned to look at the doorway where one highly entertained looking Shura was standing. Beside her, however, was one quietly fuming Yukio. He was watching Renzou through glasses that gleamed with foreboding.

Shura guffawed, "… I think someone here's not very happy~"

Renzou was shrieking uncontrollably in his mind, feeling as though his hair had shrunk back into his skull when he saw the green-eyed professor reach for his gun.

"I… I remember my other reason for giving up now…" He managed to squeak as his throat dried out. Ryuuji raised an eyebrow, looking thoroughly confused.

"Haah?"

Without another moment's hesitation, the pink-haired boy dove behind his best friend and grabbed the boy by his waist, trying to meld behind Ryuuji perfectly. "H-He's gonna kill me…!"

"W-Wha?" Ryuuji stuttered, eyes darting from Renzou to Yukio, who was loading his gun coldly, eyes shielded by the kitchen lights. "What the hell do ya mean? Sensei wouldn't…"

"H-Help me, Bon! He's totally serious about this…! Oh, god, I'm gonna die aren't I…? S-Sorry, Okumura-kun! I won't live long enough to see you through the Test-of-Courage…! Uwahhhahahah—! Oh shiiit, I just heard a click. He's aiming that thing at me, isn't he?"

"O-Oi!" A bead of sweat ran down Ryuuji's head, "Calm down…! He's…" The boy stared at Yukio and felt the beads of sweat grow in number, "Uh… he's… he's not aiming at you… he's… aiming at the counter behind us…"

"Don't lie, Bon!"

"Move aside, Suguro-kun." Yukio grunted out, one eye glaring at him from under the shine of his glasses.

The boy with blonde-streaked hair let out an exasperated laugh, "Ahh… sensei… you wouldn't…? But… this doesn't make any sense. I like Okumura, too…? But you're only targeting Shima?"

Renzou shivered. "M-Maybe he thinks… I'm more of a threat…?"

There was a silent pause. And then, Ryuuji suddenly attempted to lift the pink-haired boy from behind him, hoping to throw him and leave him at Yukio's mercy. "Go die, you bastard…!" He scowled angrily.

"N-Nooo! Bo~~nn!" Renzou cried, struggling with all his might to keep a tight hold on the other boy. "D-Don't do it! Stop it! You can't let him kill me…!"

Yukio smirked and pointed his gun at Ryuuji. "Don't worry. You'll be next."

Konekomaru could only gape in horror as their professor's persona changed from the usual calm and polite image to the almost homicidal murderer right before his eyes. Renzou was finally thrown out onto the floor between Yukio and Ryuuji, and the young professor lowered his gun at him, aiming straight at his head.

Oh shit… was this the end…? Renzou bit back a sob, feeling fear quake violently through his limbs. If… if this was the end… then he had to at least go out like a man…! R-Right? Yeah! Like a man…!

The pink-haired boy got to his feet shakily and managed to get himself upright despite the intense wobbling in his legs.

"F-Fine… y-you… you can kill me if ya like… but that still won't change the fact that… that…" He bit his lip, almost puncturing his skin, and then screamed, "That I fuckin' LOVE Okumura-kun! Now shoot me, damn it!" He spread his arms out proudly, eyes locked onto Yukio in resolution. He had said it. He'd finally said it out loud…!

And just with that, somehow he felt ready for almost anything.

Yukio's eyes narrowed. And then Shura laughed openly, slapping a hand against her thigh. She finished off the can of chuuhai and waved it teasingly in the air.

"Oi, oi. Cute speech n' all but… yer sure you guys have the time for this?"

The boys paused to listen to her but continued to stare each other down, at a standstill.

"Rin's probably all alone in the baths by himself… waitin' fer you all to go join him, ya know~? Don't ya think he's feelin' pretty lonely? All **cold** and **alone** and… _naked_~"

Renzou gasped.

_Rin was sitting in the bath, tail skimming across the top of the water listlessly as he pouted to himself._

"_The water's… gone cold…" The blue-eyed boy murmured to himself, staring quietly at the rippling surface. Occasionally, he'd turn to glance in the direction of the bathroom doors and at every little noise, he'd whip his head around happily only to sink down in disappointment when the noise was only from the bamboo apparatus filling and emptying with water. Rin sighed and moved to lean his bare chest against the side of the stone tub, head and arms resting on the ledge. His eyes were fixed on the door sadly and his tail continued to draw more circles in the water._

"_Slow… Shima's not coming yet…?" Rin watched the door with an intent look, tail pausing briefly above the water. A light blush rose in his cheeks as he whispered into his arms, "There's… still a lot of things I want to do together…" He peered at the door meekly, then glanced down into the water in a shy manner. The boy seemed to contemplate something for a moment before reaching one arm down into the water with a gentle __**splash!**_

_Rin's face turned a heated red and his eyes drew half-lidded as his hand cupped himself between the legs in the water. He began stroking himself languidly, breath hitching softly in his throat. "Hngh… ah…! Nn…" The boy's body was growing hot. Sweat beaded on his back and neck, slowly dripping down into the rippling water. He increased his speed, panting with loud breaths while his tail twitched weakly behind him, and he fell against the wall of the bath, clutching onto it with his other arm to support himself. "Ah…! Ah…! Shi—! Shimaa—haah!" His eyes were scrunched shut in pleasure, mouth open as he breathed raggedly. He continued to work on himself, feeling the tight coil in his lower abdomen grow tighter and tighter, desperately wanting and needing another person's touch. "I… need… I nee—nn! Ahh…! __**Shimaaa~!**__"_

"Okumura-kun! I'm coming…!" Renzou exclaimed, rushing towards the doorway. But a shot near his foot caused him to freeze in place. Yukio frowned, the expression clashing greatly with the bright blush on his face, and he aimed the gun at the pink-haired boy again.

"Don't move. I'll… take care of you first… then go to brother…!"

Ryuuji's face was pink as well, but he slapped a palm to his face and groaned. "Ugh… I can't believe this… you're all nuts…"

"Or…" Shura continued and it seemed like the ears on all three boys literally perked up. She snickered to herself and jabbed a thumb in the direction of the bathhouse, "Did yer guys know…? There's only one bathhouse. Which means… the girls and boys ain't separated…"

"W-Whaa?" There was a collective shout. Shura raised one slender eyebrow and smirked.

"Who knows what those two girls might do to an innocent guy like Rin, eh~? Nyahaha! Especially since they both seem to like him, just the way you three do… and plus, I taught them a few things recently~ Since Rin leaves his tail out in the open, it makes things _sooo_ much easier, too. If ya know what I mean..." She winked at them.

Renzou's jaw hung open.

_Rin was humming happily to himself in the bath, relaxing into the warm water after a long day's work. Just as he was closing his eyes and giving in to the comfort, a soft voice chimed from behind him._

"_Rin~" Shiemi spoke as she snaked her arms around the boy's bare shoulders. She pressed her ample breasts against his back. "Does it feel good?"_

"_S-S-Shiemi?" Rin exclaimed, body turning bright red and leaping away so that he fell into the water. As soon as he surfaced again, he gasped as he felt a hand on his tail. "W-What are you…?" The hand yanked and he bit back a cry of pain, tears springing to his eyes. "A-Ah…! Oi… let… l-let go…!"_

_Shiemi smiled, body half-submerged in the water. She began to work her hands closer to the most sensitive point of the tail, massaging it gently. Rin let out a quiet moan and scrunched his eyes together in pleasure. Then his eyes snapped open, darting around the room nervously. "Ah… uh… S-Shiemi…? That was…?" A blush sprang onto his cheeks, "I-Ignore what I just did… and… can you let go of my tail now?" The girl pressed herself up against him again._

"_I won't let go!" She rubbed her thumb against the base of his tail and a faint blush lit up her cheeks as Rin made another purr of bliss. Then, she smiled again while whispering into the boy's pointed ear, "Don't worry, Rin… I'll make you feel good~"_

_Another hand moved to the front, roaming up and down the boy's chest and abdomen in a slow manner, sometimes dipping down teasingly low. Rin struggled to pull free but at the warning pull on his tail, he panted and closed his eyes again, giving into the girl's hands._

"_Kamiki-san, I've caught him…!"_

"_Hmph… I could have easily done that, too..." The purple-haired girl stepped in from the dressing area, wrapped in a dry white towel. After rolling the door closed with a __**click!**_,_ she swiftly locked the door and then steadily made her way towards the edge of the bath. Rin peeled one eye open, reluctant tears blurring his vision, and his face turned another shade of red as the girl dropped her towel abruptly before climbing into the bath. She waded close to the boy, arms wrapped shyly around her body as she stared at him with a flushed face._

"_E-Eyebrows…?"_

_After a brief moment of silence, a coy smile spread across Izumo's pink-tinged face and she lifted her hand, placing one finger to the boy's lips. Then, she slowly traced it down to his neck and chest, around one pert and wet nipple, then down into the lines of his stomach._

"_Haa… haa… w-what are you…?" Rin said breathlessly, eyes losing focus as his attention drew itself to the finger plunging lower and lower down his body. His breath hitched in his throat as the finger met the base of his twitching member. "Y-You…! Don't… d-don'—__**uhnn**__!" The girl wrapped her fingers around him, leaning close and smirking bravely as she slowly spread feathery light touches up and down the organ. Then, she began pumping at a steady pace, listening closely to the boy's broken breathing. She increased the speed at erratic intervals, feeling his lower body grow firmer in her hand with every new touch. "A-Ahh… nngh! Sto… s-stop—ah!"_

_Izumo laid a small kiss on his collarbone and smiled deviously, "I'll make you __**come**__."_

Yukio's glasses went askew and he slowly lowered his gun in disbelief. "You're… you're kidding…"

"Nope~ Those girls have totally got the hots for Rin. You guys have no chance~"

Renzou gaped off into the distance, drool pooling in his mouth. Oh god… two naked girls… raping Rin… that was incredibly **hot**…

B-But still… Rin was being **raped**, right? That wasn't too good… no matter how hot it was… The image of Rin on the verge of tears rose within his mind again and he grit his teeth together.

"O-Okumura-kun! I'm coming!" Renzou raced off, pushing past Yukio through the doorway and making a hasty beeline for the bathhouse. Ryuuji cursed and followed after the pink-haired boy quickly.

"D-Damn it…! Okumura—! Hang in there, I'll save you!" He shouted, dashing through the dining room and out into the long corridor. Yukio sent a look of fury in Shura's direction before turning on his heels and sprinting off, an anxious expression in his eyes.

"Brother…!"

Konekomaru, Takara, and Shura stared after the young professor, watching him disappear into the deep corridor. Then Takara left without a word, lips pursed while his puppet's mouth smacked together a few times. He went around the corner of the kitchen doorway and then vanished. Konekomaru felt beads of sweat run down the back of his head as he stared at the woman he had been partnered with for the entire afternoon.

"I… can't believe they believed you…"

Shura chortled and opened another can of alcohol, "Nyaha~ When yer madly in love with someone, you believe anythin' sometimes! Besides… _you_ didn't correct me when I said the boys and girls weren't separated."

Konekomaru smiled sheepishly and scratched his cheek with a finger, not daring to say another word. After sharing a look, the two smiled at each other and then Shura downed another mouthful of chuuhai.

"Now, let's follow. We can't miss this~"

.:.

They had arrived at the baths in no time with the help of Yukio's bullet-like directions. Renzou rushed past the dressing room area, slamming a hand against the handle of the door which led into the bathing section.

"Okumura-kun! Okumura-kun! Are you in there?" The pink-haired boy wiggled at the door restlessly, shouting while attempting to hear for any sounds of distress from inside. He gulped and yanked at the handle again. "S-Shit… it's locked!"

Ryuuji shoved him aside. "Let me do it…!" He jiggled at the handle and then stepped back to give it a hard kick. But the door wouldn't budge an inch. Yukio frowned and motioned for them to move away.

"Get away from the door…"

"Wait, what're you thinkin' of—?"

_BANG! BANG!_

The two boys winced as two loud shots rang through the room. Renzou cracked an eye open and noticed that the bullets had pierced into the handle, forcing it open.

"Holy shit, dude…"

"Shut up… my brother's virginity could be in danger…!"

"R-Right!" The boys slammed the door open and then jumped inside, expecting to see Rin at the mercy of the two girls. Instead, they found the blue-eyed boy standing at the edge of the bath with one leg halfway into the water and a fluffy white towel around his waist. His eyes were round, peering back at them owlishly, and his tail had shot upright in alert, lifting the edge of the towel to slightly expose the curves of his bottom.

"Huh…? G-Guys?" Rin's cheeks turned a faint pink and he blinked at them, "What's… going on? I suddenly heard two loud bangs from outside…?"

Renzou sighed in relief. "Okumura-kun, you're okay!"

Ryuuji gaped at the unharmed boy and then groaned, sinking to the floor. "Ugh… we were totally led on by that woman…"

"I'll kill her…" Yukio muttered in a low voice, raising his gun up to eye-level.

Renzou glanced around the room carefully and began walking towards Rin, "Where's Moriyama-san and Izumo-chan?"

"Huh?" The blue-eyed boy blinked several times, "They're… probably in the other bath?" He sent the pink-haired boy a suspicious look, "W-Why…? Why… do _you_ wanna know…?"

_In the other bath, huh…_ Renzou contemplated and then sighed again. So they had been tricked. Well… being lied to was better than having it be true… He grinned and raised a hand up to ruffle Rin's dark blue hair.

"Nah, it's nothin'~"

At the piercing glares from Ryuuji and Yukio, Renzou laughed nervously and slowly withdrew his hand away from the half-demon. "Ahh… ahaa~ Ahh… well, since you're alright… ahem, I guess we'll just leave you to your bath in peace, y-yeah?" He forced a smile over his lips and sent it towards the two boys.

Ryuuji looked slightly satisfied at that. The boy with blonde-streaked hair glanced towards Rin and his cheeks turned red as he spoke, "Yeah… I'm glad that you're alright… umm, take care." And after receiving a confused look from the blue-eyed boy, he blushed a deeper color and pointed a finger at him angrily, "A-Anyway, if anythin' happens, don't try to take it on by yourself like you always do, alright? Call for me, erm… us… yeah." He coughed uncomfortably and then quickly turned on his heel, heading towards the entrance.

"Okay…" Rin blinked as he scratched at his stomach, looking utterly lost. Renzou snorted as he watched Ryuuji march towards the door with stiff movements.

"Brother…" Yukio spoke, surprising the people in the room when he suddenly appeared by Rin's side and leaned down to press his forehead against the boy's temple. "Don't worry, I won't let anything hurt you. So please take your bath at ease."

Renzou's mouth fell open. Ryuuji's eyes darkened.

_D-Damn youuu…!_

"Y-Yukio…? Close! What are you—?" Rin pulled away, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. His eyes darted towards the two Kyoto boys before moving to Yukio again, who was now smiling serenely at him like usual. "W-What the… what's going on with you guys?" The boy fought down his blush and then frowned at them, eyes suddenly narrowing seriously, "Is there something you're not telling me? Is there something here that's out to get me again?"

The boys blinked.

"A-Ah, no! That's not it, Okumura-kun—"

"No! It's nothing like that, brother—!"

"N-No! You've got the wrong idea, Okumura—"

They all spoke at once, smiling uneasily or waving their hands about in the air in a panicky fashion. Rin scowled.

"Suspicious…"

Renzou laughed nervously. Ack! Now what? There was no way they could tell him that they'd all rushed here because they were stupid enough to think that Shiemi and Izumo were raping him… Should they just lie and say that there really was something after him? But then that would make Rin all jumpy for the rest of the trip... he'd probably wear himself out, trying to constantly watch out for something that wasn't even real…

"Shut up already! Didn't I just say you've got the wrong idea, you idiot? J-Just…" Ryuuji clenched his teeth together, face turning a beet red, "Just accept it, alright?"

"What was that?" The blue-haired boy fisted a hand together, stepping forward with a fierce fire erupting within his eyes, "How can I just accept it? I won't just stand aside and watch you guys protect me. What if…! If…!" He bit his bottom lip tightly, eyebrows furrowed together. Then he stared straight into Ryuuji's eyes and began storming towards him, "Just tell me what's goin' on…!" A hand on his shoulder halted him and Rin turned to glare at its owner.

"Brother, what Suguro-kun said is right. It's really nothing like what you are thinking… _really_…" Yukio sighed and rubbed his temples in exasperation.

"Yukio…"

Renzou chuckled. _So we're going with this method, are we…? Well, I guess I should clinch it off~_ He moved to fling an arm around Rin's neck casually and grinned down at the boy.

"Yeah, Okumura-kun. It wasn't somethin' that serious… actually, it was kinda stupid, haha… but yeah, just trust us. We're not lying to you. It'd just be… er, too embarrassing to say, aha ha…"

Rin looked up at him, the fire in his eyes starting to diminish. He was giving him a hesitant look. But eventually, his gaze fell to his hands and he nodded quietly.

"Oh… okay."

Renzou smiled in relief, feeling his muscles immediately relax from hearing the boy's agreement. After a moment, however, his eyes zeroed in on his arm that was sitting around Rin's exposed shoulders. His arm instantly felt fuzzy and hot. Renzou sprang away, staring at his arm with round eyes and reddening cheeks. _H-H-Holy shit, I-I…! I t-t-touch—touched him… and he's freakin' bare-naked… well, almost!_ His arm tingled. He felt like floating in bliss. _Hahaaa… oh god, I know I'm bein' kinda creepy right now but… who cares? This feels fuckin' awesome…_ He sighed, savoring the brief contact of having Rin's bare skin under his fingertips.

Rin raised his head again, now staring at the three boys with a raised eyebrow. "So wait, it was _**that**_ embarrassing…?" He snickered, "Now I'm pretty curious what you guys were thinking…"

The three boys stiffened all of a sudden. Ryuuji and Yukio threw accusing looks at Renzou and the pink-haired boy felt his stomach plummet into his intestines. He raised his hands up in defense as beads of sweat ran down his head. Whoops, he hadn't intended for this to happen…

"A-Anyway, brother. We will be leaving now…" They began to simultaneously creep towards the entrance, making for a hasty retreat. But the half-demon's voice echoed along the room again.

"Hmm," Rin rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "You guys were worried for my safety but it's also too embarrassing to say…" He bopped a fist into one palm, "Ah! Could it be…?"

As soon as Rin seemed to reach a conclusion, Renzou had the instant urge to run around in circles like a chicken with its head cut off. _Oh shit, oh shiiiit! H-He's not gonna guess it, right? Aghh, you idiot, Renzou! You gave away too much information!_ His eyes darted around the room, noticing that both Ryuuji and Yukio had also begun sweating buckets.

Rin laughed and crossed his arms over his naked chest, "You guys thought I'd done something like stayed in the bath for too long or slipped on a bar of soap or somethin'? So it's too embarrassing to say because you were _that_ worried for me? Is that it? Gyahaha~ Who knew you guys had that much love for me, eh? Heh heh, just kidding~"

Renzou's face grew pink. _Somehow you're right on the dot but still so far, Okumura-kun…?_

"A-As if that were it, you idiot!" Ryuuji spluttered, voice ringing loudly as his cheeks glowed a fierce red. Rin merely laughed harder and grinned at them all with his white towel still hanging around his waist. Yukio sighed and adjusted his glasses, looking away to hide the pinkness in his cheeks. Then he nodded towards the door, sending the two embarrassed boys an irritated look.

"As I was saying… enjoy your bath, brother. You two, let's go."

"R-Right…" Renzou followed after the young professor, scurrying towards the entrance. Rin's laughter abruptly stopped and they heard him call out almost pleadingly, "Ah! W-Wait…!"

The boys turned to look at the blue-eyed boy curiously. Rin paused, noticing that he had caught their attentions, and a pink blush sprang to his cheeks. He lifted an arm up to rub the back of his head, chuckling timidly, "Ah! Uhh… that is… well… umm…" His other hand was fiddling nervously with the ends of his towel and he aimed his gaze up at the ceiling as he spoke, "T-The bath is kinda… big, right? Erm… so… since you guys are here already and… y-yeah, so…"

Renzou's heart fluttered. _Oh, you are so cute, Okumura-kun…!_ The pink-haired boy grinned eagerly and glanced at the other two, who were looking slightly startled yet pleased at the same time. He lifted his arms up, crossing them behind his head, and then stared at them through half-lidded eyes as he spoke, "Ahh, now that you mention it, I do feel like having a good bath right now~ I think I'll stay. What about you guys? Hmm~?" He ignored the annoyed looks pointed towards him and snickered to himself. Actually, these guys could be pretty fun to tease. No wonder Shura kept on hounding them…

Rin's tail had shot up as soon as Renzou spoke and it waggled eagerly back and forth. The boy's eyes twinkled and he grinned toothily, "Yeah! The water was pretty nice when I put my foot into it…! It was super warm!"

"Well… that does sound nice…" Yukio let out a huff of air, smiling in defeat. His eyes flashed towards Renzou and Ryuuji however, and he frowned, "But… are you sure you want Suguro-kun and Shima-kun here, too?"

Renzou raised an eyebrow. _Hey, hey… tryin' to kick us out this late in the game? __**Not**__ gonna happen~_

"What was that…?" Ryuuji growled in return, teeth clenched together angrily, "Just try and kick us out, bastard…"

"O-Oi, calm down, guys…" A bead of sweat ran down Rin's head and he raised his hands up in an attempt to appease the two, "There's enough room in the bath for all of us. Besides, you guys keep seeing me half-naked. It's only fair that I see you guys, too, nyeh~" He stuck out his tongue playfully.

Renzou stared at the boy's tantalizing tongue poking out and his cheeks grew hot. _Ahh, Okumura-kun… you have no idea how much danger you keep putting yourself in, do you~_ His eyes lowered lustfully and he smirked. Well, if Rin wanted to bath naked together, who was he to disagree? He could imagine it all now… pulling Rin's back flush against his chest… the half-demon would ask sweetly, while handing him a soapy sponge, "Shima, would you like to wash me~? (heart)" Then, he'd be mischievous, pretending to help clean the boy's front and then slowly have his hand roam lower and lower until, "A-Aah! Shima, where are you touching~? N-No, we… nngh, c-can't! Not here…!" And then—

Rin paused for a second. Then his tongue shot back into his mouth and he scratched at his head, "Ah, except Yukio though, I guess… then again, we haven't had a bath together in a while… Hn—?" The boy blinked as he set his eyes on the pink-haired boy. Rin's cheeks turned faintly pink as he addressed him, "Uhh, Shima? You… have a weird look on your face…"

"Huh?" Renzou's mind snapped back to reality and he sucked up the sliver of saliva that had escaped from his mouth, "Ah! Uhh… i-it's nothin', ha… ha ha~ I'm, erm… gonna go change and then come back, yeah?"

"Oh… o-okay." Rin nodded then looked away at one of the floor tiles in discomfort. "I'll, ah, go in the bath first then. Yeah." And then he turned to climb into the bath, hands reaching down for the towel covering him. Renzou's eyes grew round and he fixed his gaze intently on the blue-eyed boy's backside, staring unblinkingly. But just as Rin unraveled the towel off, exposing the soft skin of his right hip, a sharp jab into his chest sent him hobbling over his stomach, causing him to miss what would have likely been an incredibly delicious view.

"Ugh! W-What the hell—?" He began, hands clutched around his middle. The pink-haired boy glared upwards, a tear forming at the corner of his right eye, but he stiffened and clamped his lips together instantly when he saw the menacing glare Yukio was sending him. Ryuuji, who was standing only several feet away, seemed to be bent over his stomach as well. Renzou could only assume that he'd received the same treatment.

Yukio grabbed the two boys by their collars, hauling them out the door with an icy expression across his face. As soon as he kicked the door shut, with a brief, "We'll be back, brother," he tossed the two boys onto the floor and then crossed his arms over his chest. Renzou peered up at the spectacled boy nervously and gulped when he earned a look that seemed to say, "**Look again and you'll be leaving this place without the ability to make children for the rest of your life…!**"

Then, Yukio marched past them, eyes closed and brows scrunched together in irritation before choosing the locker beside the only one that wasn't empty. He unbuttoned his jacket and loosened his tie, pulling both off to fold neatly into the provided basket. After a pause, he glanced up in contemplation and then turned towards the other two boys with a humorless smile etched over his face.

"If you don't hurry, I'll go in first and lock the door."

Renzou's mouth fell open. _N-No! He wouldn't…! Wait, no, he would! I can't let them be alone together…!_ He began scrambling to his feet anxiously. But a scoff from Ryuuji caused him to freeze.

"Heh, what do ya mean, 'lock the door'? You busted it open, remember?" The boy with blonde-streaked hair snorted and pulled himself up, patting the back of his pants off unhurriedly. Yukio stared at him with gleaming glasses. Then, he whipped his head back towards the locker with an annoyed, "Tch."

Renzou let out a sigh of relief. Right… he'd forgotten about that. Ha ha… what a close call… The three boys undressed at a relatively leisurely yet tense—to the point of 'deafening silence' tense—pace, each avoiding eye contact with each other until finally they were all stripped down to nothing but a thin towel around their waists. The pink-haired boy smiled eagerly, shoving his dislike for Yukio to the back of his mind in lieu of what he would do and see once he entered the bathing area again.

"Okumura-ku~~n…!" He gushed out happily and skipped towards the door, "I'm coming in~" But before he could reach for the handle, he was smacked aside by the back of Yukio's hand. "Agh!" He voiced as he fell to the ground clumsily and then shot the green-eyed boy a look of irritation. Yukio merely ignored him and stepped into the room first, slamming the door shut in front of the pink-haired boy's face as soon as he entered. Renzou clenched his jaw.

_Heh… that guy's reeeaally gettin' on my nerves…_

"I'll be headin' in first, too…" Ryuuji drawled and slid open the door, stepping calmly past him and into the baths. Renzou gaped from his position on the floor.

"Ahh! Not you, too, Bon…!"

For a moment, the boy turned to look over his shoulder with a blank expression. Then, he sneered deviously and let the door slide back shut with a loud _shloop!_ in his friend's face. Renzou gasped. What! D-Damnit… he wasn't about to let those two one-up him…! The boy jumped to his feet and slammed the door open, yelling, "Okumura-kun, I'm here now…!" But the words died in his mouth when he saw the blue-eyed boy laughing and pouncing onto Yukio's back.

"Gyahaha~ Woah, Yukio…! You're like totally ripped now, dude. When did this happen?" Rin snickered and ran his hands across the young professor's shoulders. Yukio seemed to be fighting back a deep blush and flailing his arms around, attempting to pull the half-demon off while supporting the two of them. "How does big brother not know this, huh? Where have you been hiding this body…!" Rin giggled teasingly.

"B-Brother, please… you're heavy…" Yukio managed to protest breathlessly, but a smug smile seemed to be worming its way across his lips.

Renzou felt his body go cold. He looked away from the scene and sluggishly shuffled towards the washing area, feeling utterly drained of enthusiasm. He joined an irritated looking Ryuuji, who had moved to sit on one of the wooden stools, soaping his arms roughly with a cloth. Renzou pulled up beside him and flipped on a jet of hot water, noting dimly as it hit his chest that it wasn't doing much to make him feel any warmer.

Rin's laughter seemed to finally fade away and Renzou could hear him say, "Hm? UWAH, I forgot! You're still dirty, aren't you? Go clean up!"

"Yes, yes…" Yukio was sighing. After a brief sound of water splashing and a gentle pitter-patter of feet on tiles, Renzou found the green-eyed boy sidling up beside him with a content smile on his face. The pink-haired boy grimaced and looked away, rubbing the bar of soap between his hands a bit faster. For several minutes, the three boys merely worked on cleaning themselves off of the day's sweat and grime. But then Ryuuji suddenly stiffened in his seat, back muscles tensing. Renzou paused to raise an eyebrow at his friend.

"What's wrong, Bon?"

Ryuuji didn't answer. Instead, after another second of silence, the boy glanced over his shoulder with beads of sweat running down his head. "What the hell do you want, Okumura…?" He yelled in exasperation, cheeks glowing faintly pink. Renzou blinked.

_Huh?_

He whipped his head towards the blue-eyed boy, who was now leaning up against the side of the bath that was closest to them. Rin's tail had shot up straight from the water in surprise. But he remained silent, continuing to stare openly at them with his chin in the palm of his hand. His tail gradually relaxed back into a curved form, waving back and forth in the water lazily. Then, he grinned.

"Just as I thought! Suguro's body is super cool. So manly, geheheh~ How do you get your body like that…?" Rin pouted and pursed his lips together as he murmured, "We shouldn't be any different in age, right…? Are you really Japanese?"

Ryuuji's body went full-blown red and he spun towards Rin, fisting a hand together indignantly, "W-What the hell do ya mean, am I really Japanese? I-Idiot!" He spluttered, barely able to yell out in anger to conceal his embarrassment, "O-O-Of course I am! I just… probably train more than you is all, stupid!"

"Training? Wow…" Rin examined Ryuuji's body some more, "That's gotta be some amazing training then…"

Renzou's eyes lit up. Sometimes when Ryuuji went training, he took both him and Konekomaru along as well. Maybe Rin might think he looked manly, too~? He lifted his hands up, pointing both index fingers at himself, and smiled expectantly.

"What about me, Okumura-kun~? Look at me~ Me~"

"Uh?" Rin's bright blue eyes moved towards him and then just as quickly flitted away towards one of the far-off walls, "Oh, uhh… un. Shima, too…"

Renzou's eyes went blank. _H-Huh? Why isn't he looking at me…? Okumura-kuuuunn…!_ He felt tears of frustration form at the corners of his eyes and he returned to washing himself with vigor. What the hell was that! Why was there such a huge difference in treatment…? _Just what about me doesn't match up to Bon, huh? Okumura-kun…!_

The room elapsed into a silence composed of mostly the spraying of shower nozzles and the gentle splashing that Rin made as he occasionally sunk into the water to soak. Soon, the three boys were refreshed and clean from the top of their heads to the very tip of their toes. Renzou was the last to enter the bath and as he got in, he looked up to catch Rin's eyes watching him. The blue eyes darted away again and Renzou let out a sigh. Well… if Rin didn't want to look at him… His eyes narrowed and a mischievous (but slightly uncertain) smile spread across his lips. He'd just have to somehow _**make**_ him look at him…! Yeah!

He noticed that each of the boys had moved to sit in separate corners of the bath, enjoying the soothing heat of the water. But his caramel colored irises targeted Rin, who was leaning back against the edge of the bath, skin flushed a soft pink, and was smiling into the waves being made by his tail. Renzou made no hesitations in his movements. The boy waded straight towards Rin's corner, disrupting the unspoken agreement they all were supposed to have had.

"Ah—!"  
"You—!"

He heard Yukio and Ryuuji begin to protest but he simply ignored them and settled down just a few inches away from the half-demon. Rin jumped, startled by the proximity between them. Then he pulled on an unnatural looking smile and stared past the pink-haired boy.

"Ah, S-Shima! How's the water?"

Renzou chuckled. There it was again… but the more he refused to look at him, the more he wanted to make him look…! Renzou lifted an elbow up against the bath's edge behind them and then leaned back while raising his other hand up casually. He wove his wet fingers through his pink hair, knowing that this position would allow for optimum visuals of all his best sides. _Oh yeeaaah, I know I look good~ He'll __**have**__ to look at me now._

"Well, I admit it does feel good…" His eyes landed on the boy whose skin looked more flushed than before. He smirked, "What about Okumura-kun? Do _you_ feel good~?"

Rin's eyes were jumping towards the other boy's chest and stomach and his hands had moved so that they were gripping onto his tail under the water. "Uhh, y-yeah…"

_Look at how cute he is~_ Renzou chuckled inwardly, pleased to be causing such uneasy reactions in the other boy. After all… it meant that Rin was being overly conscious of him~

Suddenly, an enormous wave of hot water came rushing his way and it soaked both him and Rin thoroughly. He gagged, choking slightly on the water that had made it up his nose. As he wiped away the water from his face, he heard Yukio say, "Ah, pardon me, I slipped." Renzou shook the water from his hair and peered through bleary eyes, noticing the young professor staring back at him with a dark gaze. Ryuuji sat in his corner, clapping his hands together in a steady applause all the while giving him a stony and unfeeling stare.

_Urgh, this is totally __**not**__ fair guys…_ Renzou narrowed his eyes back at them silently, _You both had your turn. It's about time for me to get a chance, too!_

The look that they had on both their faces seemed to bark back at him: _"In your fucking dreams!"_

He rolled his eyes. What the hell was up with these jealous guys? He didn't do anything to interrupt them… The boy blinked once and then smirked._ Hmm… maybe I should from now on…_

But that would have to wait for another time... because right now, he still had the upper hand~ Renzou gave the two boys a glowering look and then moved closer to Rin again, who was pulling his wet bangs away from his eyes and blinking in confusion. The pink-haired boy smiled warmly and raised his hands up, making a squeezing gesture with them.

"Hey, Okumura-kun! I'll give you a massage~ It's like the tradition in bathing together, ya know?" He grinned in as casual a manner as possible. He could almost see the jaws hanging open on Yukio and Ryuuji's faces and he snickered inwardly. _Hell yeah, I just went __**there**__. Take that, you bastards…!_

"H-Huh?" Rin's face seemed to be turning even redder than before, "Uhh… o-okay…"

_Wait… s-seriously…?_ Renzou gasped, immediately throwing his two rivals to the back of his mind. He hadn't expected the boy to actually accept the offer. But since he did…

Rin smiled awkwardly and gave him an expectant albeit nervous look, "So, uh… how do we do this?"

"O-Oh! Yeah, um… just turn around and I'll ahh, t-take care of the rest… aha~" He stuttered with a bright blush, "You can lean up against the wall… and then just, erm… relax…"

"Okay…!" Rin nodded obediently and then turned towards the wall of the bath, leaning his arms over the side. The boy peered over his shoulder, giving him a furtive glance with cheeks a blazing hot red, "So… like this?"

Renzou felt his mind swirl after seeing Rin's expression and the expanse of smooth skin facing him. And it was all for him to touch as he pleased… The water was also still clear enough that he could see where the boy's tail ended, right above the crevice of his firm behind…

_Shiiii~~t…!_

"Y-Yeah… just like that… ha… ha ha…" He licked his lips and felt his lower half begin to react inappropriately, "Just leave everything to me, Okumura-kun~" Rin nodded and then turned back to stare over the ledge of the bath, smiling in oblivious comfort. His cheeks and body, still flushed a tinge of red and pink, were slick and soft from the hot water. It made the half-demon look even more erotic than ever before. Renzou swallowed, eyes focused on Rin's tender and unmarred skin. His gaze chased after one of the droplets of sweat which had been slowly curving down one of Rin's shoulder blades and trailing into the center of his back. It dipped lower over the line of his spine, slipping quietly into the bath water. Renzou raised his shaking hands, leaning closer towards the blue-eyed boy. But just as he was about to reach out and touch Rin's tempting skin, the sound of water being rapidly displaced met his ears. In under a second, he suddenly felt the air being knocked out from his lungs when a strong arm came clothes-lining towards his neck. He was flattened down into the water with a loud splash.

"HhGUHBLUH—!" Renzou slowly recovered, pulling himself up from the water. He coughed violently from the pain and from accidentally inhaling a few droplets when he had gone under. But before he could fully gain his bearings, the same arm wrapped around his neck again. The boy with pink hair grunted when he felt the hold tighten and his hands clawed at the arm desperately. "U-Urgh! Ugh…! S-Shit this _hurts_, dammit…!" He shot a glare up at the person choking him and frowned when Ryuuji only glared back down at him fiercely.

"_**You**_…!" Ryuuji seethed and squeezed his arms around his friend's neck even harder. Renzou grimaced, flailing uselessly in his attempt to escape. It was getting more and more difficult to breathe. His eyes darted towards Rin and Yukio, who were both watching, one in bewilderment and the other with a miniscule smile.

Renzou reached a hand out towards the blue-eyed boy and whispered hoarsely, "H-Help…! Help me, Okumura-kun…!"

"A-Ah! Ohh!" Rin's cheeks were still pink and he waded towards the two wrestling boys at a steady speed. But then, the boy's eyes suddenly rolled backward. He wobbled dangerously towards the left before leaning right, falling face first into the water. There was a split moment of silence where time seemed to just halt. And then Yukio shouted.

"B-Brother…!"

Ryuuji and Renzou stared at the motionless half-demon in shock, watching as Yukio scrambled forward to lift Rin's head above the water. Ryuuji and Renzou broke away from each other immediately, rushing towards the pair's side.

"Okumura?" Ryuuji exclaimed, voice laced with worry. Renzou's eyes darted across the boy's face and body, checking for any signs of injury.

"What happened? Is he okay…?"

One of Yukio's hands, the one that wasn't supporting his unconscious brother under his back and neck, moved to touch the half-demon's cheek.

"He's probably been in the bath for too long. We gotta get him out." He hauled Rin up without another word, carrying him in both arms, and then climbed out from the bath to move with haste for the dressing room area. Renzou danced around anxiously from foot to foot, following after the two brothers carefully. What could he do? Was there anything he could do to help? The sound of water shooting into one of the provided wash buckets came from his right side and he whipped his head around, finding Ryuuji already working to turn the nozzle off and grab for several clean and dry towels.

"It's cold water," The boy explained and lifted the bucket, "We gotta cool him off, right?" He scowled, sending a look of concern towards the door before scurrying towards the entrance. Renzou nodded.

"R-Right! Ahh… ahh… ah! I'll go get some water for him to drink…!" He gulped and leapt from the bathing section and into the dressing room area. He scanned his eyes across the room for any source of drinking water or ice; anything to help lower Rin's body temperature. If the Rosenblatts had built a bathhouse, they surely had something around to cool themselves off with after a hot bath. His eyes surveyed the room, noting briefly that Yukio had laid Rin down on a wooden bench and was pressing a palm to the boy's forehead. Ryuuji was also crouched beside them, wringing out several towels of cool water before handing one towards the green-eyed boy. Renzou's gaze pulled away from the scene, focused on his mission. _Right… where would I put something like…? Oh!_

He raced past the next row of lockers and then smiled triumphantly when he found a resting area, fully equipped with several massage chairs and what looked like a bar table. A large cooler box was sitting against the pale brown walls behind the counter of the bar and Renzou wasted little time in skidding over the top to reach it. The pink-haired boy flung the doors open and grabbed an assortment of drinks from the inside—strawberry milk, normal milk, water, soda—then he sprinted back towards the bench Rin was lying on. "Found them…!" He announced and sidled up beside Ryuuji, kneeling down with his armful of drinks, "Did he wake up yet?"

"Not yet, he hasn—"

"Nngh…" Rin groaned just as Ryuuji murmured back in reply. The three boys went silent instantly and watched the half-demon shudder and scrunch his eyebrows together. He turned his head towards the ceiling lights, eyes opening blearily. "Nn…? What… happened…?" Rin slowly began to sit up but when he looked as though his vision were swimming again, the boys reached their hands out quickly to support him before he fell once more.

"Okumura, you _**idiot**_!" Ryuuji grunted out angrily, shaking the boy's arm in frustration, "Can't you tell when you've stayed in the bath for too long?"

"Ugh…" Rin managed a weak smile and his head drooped off to the side, "Woah… everythin's kinda spinning… gyahaha~ This is so weeeiiirrd~"

Renzou released a breath of air he hadn't realized he was holding in. _You idiot… do you have any idea how freaked out I was…? But at least you're okay and moving again… Thank goodness you're awake…!_

"Brother," Yukio clenched a fist together. His bangs were covered over his eyes darkly and there was a deep frown on his lips, "Why did you stay in the water for so long…? Why are you such an idiot…?"

"Haha…" Rin squinted his eyes together for moment in discomfort. He shook his head to clear his vision and then opened his eyes again. The half-demon stared back at the three boys through his clear blue eyes and smiled warmly, "But… I was having so much fun together… didn't want to get out…"

Renzou felt his heart burst. Rin… was such a freakin' angel…! A demon? Satan's son? Yeah right…! If anyone ever said that again about him, he'd shove his staff up their asses.

"I-Idiot! Just because of that…!" Ryuuji spluttered, cheeks turning pink. Yukio scowled and continued to give his brother a stoic stare.

"It wasn't fun when you passed out, brother…"

They went silent as Yukio's words settled over them, striking deeply. Renzou thought back to how panicked they all were when Rin had fainted over. It was true… it hadn't been fun at all to see how lifeless the boy looked… He never wanted to see that _ever_ again.

Rin gulped and nodded, "S-Sorry… Yukio. I didn't realize… erm…" He mumbled softly, "I won't do it again… so… c-can we all have more baths together…?"

Yukio continued to stare at his brother icily. Then, he let out a huff of air and a gentle smile curved the ends of his lips up, "As long as you understand, brother…" The young professor leaned down to run a hand through Rin's damp hair comfortingly and Rin grinned happily, glad to have been forgiven. A soft smile spread across Renzou's lips and he sighed, closing his eyes in relief. It looked like Rin was feeling a lot better now…

"Yeah, if you ever do that again, I'll friggin' smash your face in…" Ryuuji grumbled half-heartedly, causing Rin to gulp but smile all the same. Renzou laughed and then leaned close towards the blue-eyed boy.

"Right, and even I won't forgive you if you try that again~" He winked and Rin let out a bashful, "Eheh heh…"

"S-Sorry, guys… I guess I really made you worried, huh…" He apologized but the tips of his ears were glowing red with happiness. The pink-haired boy chuckled. Well, that should be enough scolding now… He brought his armful of drinks up and grinned brilliantly at his blue-eyed friend.

"So, Okumura-kun, which one do you want? I brought a whole bunch of drinks over so let's each take one."

"Oh?" Rin glanced at the beverages and he grinned while pointing at the milk, "I want that one!" The pink-haired boy handed it to him promptly with a sweet smile. Yukio reached down and pulled the bottle of water from his arms.

"I'll take that." He said with a smirk. Renzou sent him a displeased frown but nevertheless shrugged and passed the strawberry milk to Ryuuji.

"Duohh?" The boy with blonde-streaked hair juggled the drink in his hands as it was passed to him, "Wait, why am I getting the strawberry milk? I don't want this!" Renzou twisted the cap off his soda and shrugged.

"Well, I don't want it. So you can have it." He added a smile to the end. _It's payback for nearly killing me before, too! Not much of a payback… but good enough._

Ryuuji grimaced at the drink, "Ugh, too sweet… oi, where'd you find this again? I'm gonna put it back." Renzou jabbed a thumb in the direction of the second row of lockers.

"Just keep goin' that way and you'll find a bar. Fridge is behind the counter."

"A bar…" Ryuuji let out a sigh and shook his head as he stood up, "…rich people, huh."

"Yep."

Rin's eyes darted towards the area Renzou had motioned in. Then, he licked his lips and asked simply, "You think they have ice cream…?" The boys blinked back at him and pondered the question for a moment. Renzou rubbed his chin. _Hmm… actually, that doesn't sound too bad. Some ice cream would be nice…_ But before he decided to suggest that they check it out, he noticed Rin shiver slightly. Renzou turned back to the blue-haired boy, staring at him in bewilderment.

"Hang on a second, are you sure you want ice cream? You look kinda cold now… let's all get dressed first, yeah?" At his words, they all seemed to simultaneously realize that all of them had been standing butt-naked in the dressing rooms for quite some time already. They shared a look of amusement before moving towards their respective lockers. Rin laughed.

"Haha, no wonder my skin feels kinda chilly," He grinned toothily and stopped in front of the wooden locker, reaching one hand in for his clothes, "But I still feel hot on the inside so we're still checking for ice cream, okay?"

Renzou snickered, "As you wish~" He turned away and then just about finished pulling on his boxers when a frightened yelp from Yukio caused him to jump forwards and smack his head against the wooden door on his locker. "W-What the…? Sensei—?" He rubbed his forehead with his fingers, wondering what would make Yukio of all people shout like that. He turned in the direction of the two brothers, about to ask what was wrong. But his voice caught in his throat when he found Rin standing behind him, holding up a pair of lacy red panties.

_Okumura-kun? P-P-P—?_

"B-B-Brother, why do you have something like that…?" Yukio stuttered, pointing at the article of clothing with wide eyes. Rin's cheeks were a bright pink and he shook his head back and forth vigorously, just as confused and surprised as his twin brother.

"I-I dunno… I just reached my hand in for my clothes and I found t-t-_this_ instead…!" The boy's eyes darted towards his locker and then he scrambled to pull out the basket inside, where his clothes should have been. Instead, he found a messy pile of women's clothes. Shura's, to be exact. In fact, they were the clothes he had seen her wear today…

"O-Oi… isn't that… Kirigakure-sensei's…?" Ryuuji gulped, sweat running down the back of his head in rivulets.

Yukio gaped at the clothing. Rin tossed the panties back into the basket, as if they were burning like coal, and then rushed towards the other lockers, searching for his actual clothes. Renzou and Ryuuji helped, dashing around the lockers and opening each one, checking and double-checking. They returned empty-handed.

Rin stared up at the three boys with round and terrified eyes. "Then… where did _my_ clothes go…?"

"I have no idea… but we searched everywhere, right?" Renzou murmured quietly, eyebrows scrunched together in thought. Yukio let out an uncharacteristic scoff.

"Hn, it's obvious that the person behind all of this…" His glasses were back on and they gleamed as he raised his guns, all loaded up and polished to the degree of blinding people, "…is Shura-san."

"Exactly right, scaredy-cat four-eyes~ I was waitin' fer ya to say that…" The door into the dressing rooms slid open with a well-timed _smack!_ and the fiery-haired woman smirked back at the naked boys in a mischievous fashion. She pursed her lips together and twirled around in the doorway, showing off the new set of clothes she was wearing. "How do I look? It's a bit tight around the chest area but not bad, right~? Nyahahaha!"

Renzou's mouth went slack. Why was she…? He saw Rin's jaw drop open uselessly and the boy's finger was half-raised, pointing in the woman's direction.

"W-Why're you in my clothes…?" The blue-eyed boy exclaimed, finger shaking violently.

"Good question, Rin." Shura chortled and casually leaned against the side of the door. She winked at him and then pointed, "But a better question would be: 'What are _you_ wearin', Rin~?'"

Renzou's eyes shifted towards the boy, who had also simultaneously gulped and looked down at himself. Ryuuji and Yukio had both managed to at least get some article of clothing over their bodies. However, for Rin…

_He's not wearing anything…!_

There was a sudden mass scramble of limbs. Renzou flung himself, bare chested and all, in front of Rin in an attempt to block the boy from sight. Ryuuji's face turned a purplish red and he grabbed his jacket quickly, running forward to throw it over the blue-haired boy's body. Yukio leapt forward and aimed his pistols towards the doorway, one eye glaring out from under the shine of his spectacles. There was a series of shots but Shura merely dodged behind the door. She peeked out again and smirked.

"Hyahahah, you should see the looks on yer faces."

"Shura-san…!" Yukio warned. The woman shrugged.

"Whaaat? It's not like it's anything I haven't seen before~" She winked at the boy who was still standing stark-naked behind the pink-haired boy and draped over with a large jacket. "Anyway," Shura waved nonchalantly, "Have fun, Rin. I'll see you all tomorrow~ Night!" With that, she left from the doorway leaving the boys speechless in the suddenly all-too quiet dressing room. Yukio lowered his arms.

"Brother…" He began.

Rin, who was looking incredibly baffled from how fast he had been covered by his friends, tilted his head towards the green-eyed boy to show that he was paying attention. "Uh…?" He replied unintelligently.

"… what did Shura-san just mean by that…?"

"Huh?"

Yukio clenched his jaw together and then ground out, "She said it wasn't anything she hadn't seen before. What did that mean?"

Rin's face flushed brightly red and he clenched his fists together, shouting in indignation, "What the—! How should I know?"

"H-Hey, calm down, guys…" Renzou raised his hands up in appeasement, laughing hesitantly at the young professor, "She's probably pullin' our legs again, I mean it's not like she'd need Okumura-kun to strip for her or anythin'…"

Rin nodded fervently, "Yeah! I have no idea what she's talkin' about!" He pouted and clenched his fingers into the jacket around his shoulders, pulling them closer around him, "Yukio, you're being really weird today…"

The green-eyed boy stared at Rin expressionlessly for a moment. Then he sighed loudly and moved back towards them. "Sorry, brother… I… don't know what came over me…"

Rin frowned as his fraternal twin moved closer towards them, head bowed down. His frown melted into a gentle smile and he chuckled, "It's alright, Yukio~ I know you're just being overly worried like you always are…!" The boy grinned and jabbed a thumb at himself confidently, "Don't worry. Just believe in your big brother! Although…" He scratched at his cheek in confusion, "… I don't really get why you'd be worried about my body being seen by Shura though…"

A light blush spread across Yukio's cheeks and he explained quickly, "I-I wasn't worried about that…!"

"Oh…" Rin continued to scratch at his cheek, "That does make more sense…"

"Anyway," Ryuuji interrupted from behind loudly, causing Yukio to sigh in slight relief. The boy with blonde-streaked hair pressed a hand over Rin's head and shook the boy lightly, "There's somethin' more important, right? Kirigakure-sensei just ran off with this guy's clothes. Now what?"

_Oh, right…_

"Should I get a towel…?" Rin muttered sheepishly, eyes turning towards the dry towels sitting in a large basket against the corner of the room.

Renzou glanced towards Shura's clothes, which had been left behind. Wait… wasn't this a good chance to see Rin in skimpy clothing…? He smiled perversely and began pulling on his clothes in a casual manner, "Okumura-kun~" The boy with pink hair suggested cheerily as he pulled his head through his shirt, "Why don't you just wear those clothes and then we can all go back to the rooms for—" Both Ryuuji's and Yukio's hands were fisted into his collar in an instant.

"Are you _**kiddin'**_ me…?" The young monk snarled into his face. Yukio leaned over him menacingly as well, voice a low growl.

"Do you want us all to _**die**_ from blood loss…?"

Renzou swallowed heavily.

"S-Sorry. I… I wasn't thinkin'…"

.:.

In the end, by using a complex strategy of maneuvering through the corridors—involving two people on the lookout in front and one watching the back, as well as a towel and Yukio's long jacket—all four boys managed to make it back to the room without being caught by Shura or any of the girls who might have decided to pass through the halls. There _was_ that one time where they had been snuck up on by Takara, who had merely passed by them nonchalantly with a glass of milk in one hand. However, besides that, Rin's state of dress remained relatively unexposed to the other members of the Exwires.

As soon as they got past the two angel statues that guarded their room, Rin rushed towards the corner where his bag of extra clothes laid on the ground, untouched. He set his sheathed sword against the wall (Shura hadn't taken that from him, thankfully) and then rifled through the bag quickly, pulling out a comfortable light blue shirt, a pair of dark green boxers, and grey sweatpants.

Renzou breathed a sigh of relief when Rin finally made it safely into the room. He sent a weary smile towards Konekomaru, who was sitting on the bed—the one Rin had assigned him—with a book open in his lap. The boy looked up at them and then laughed nervously after noticing their breathless state.

"W-Welcome back. How was the bath…?"

"Ugh…" Ryuuji groaned and stalked off towards his red duffel bag, "It was a nightmare…"

Renzou chuckled, "Yeah… we got ambushed, ha ha…"

"Ambushed?"

Rin's attention shifted off of his clothes and he turned towards the small boy, slowly standing up with an expressionless look across his face. He promptly whipped open the folds of Yukio's coat with his feet shoulder width apart. Konekomaru's cheeks turned pink.

"Oh…"

The blue-eyed boy grinned cheekily at Konekomaru's reaction, tail whipping back and forth along the insides of the trench coat, "Yep! Shura took my clothes…" His tail drooped and he began shedding the long coat off, stepping out with only the dry towel wrapped around his lower body. He sighed and pulled on the green boxers under the towel, "I wonder if she'll give them back… I only have one set of that uniform… She won't keep it, will she?"

Renzou laughed, "Don't worry about that, Okumura-kun~ Because…" He gestured towards Yukio, who was crouched over his bag in a foreboding manner and polishing his gun wordlessly. The pink-haired boy laughed nervously, "… Okumura-sensei won't let that happen… aha ha…"

"Ha ha, I see…" Rin chortled uneasily, "Yukio really hates Shura, huh…" The green-eyed boy didn't reply. Rin rubbed the back of his head, "A-Anyway… I'll figure out a way to get them back tomorrow. So don't look so scary, Yukio…! For now, erm… let's all go to sleep!"

The boys changed into a set of comfortable clothes, looking up briefly when Takara came through the doors looking sleepier than usual, and then once they had finished their preparations for sleep, they climbed into their respective beds.

"Brother…" Yukio sighed a few minutes after they had all settled under the covers, "Will you stop hitting me with your tail?"

Rin snickered, eyes still vibrant with energy.

"Sorry… I'm just really excited, he he~"

Renzou shuffled under the covers to get himself into a more comfortable position without having to touch his friend's body too much. He lifted his head up on the pillow to glance over the people lying to his right side; Ryuujji and Yukio were currently having a fierce stare-off from opposite sides of the bed crack while Rin was beaming up at the ceiling, his hair a mess from moving around too much. A smile spread across Renzou's face. Even though they weren't sleeping beside each other, it was still nice to see the boy's cheery face before going to sleep… and the fact that they were spending the night in the same room was already enough to make his stomach flop with giddiness. He felt two gazes on him and he gulped, eyes shifting towards Yukio and Ryuuji, who were now both giving him equally narrowed eye looks.

"Aha… ha ha… g-good niiight~" He grinned at them awkwardly as he sunk back down into the bed sheets.

"Ehh?" Rin's voice whined from behind Yukio and the boy climbed over the green-eyed boy, laying his folded arms and head on top of his side. Yukio attempted to push off his brother in a flustered manner but Rin stubbornly clung on, eyes fixed on Renzou, "You're going to sleep already, Shima?"

"Ah!" The pink-haired boy blushed as the boy watched him through his adorable and inquisitive eyes, "Umm, n-no… no, I mean, yes! I mean… that is… erm…" He clamped his mouth shut, feeling quite stupid for stammering so much. But Rin merely grinned obnoxiously.

"Gyahaha, which is it?"

"Brother," Yukio frowned and smacked a palm over the boy's face, pushing him back to his side of the bed, "I think you've forgotten that we still need to wake up early tomorrow. You should take Shima-kun as an example and go to sleep, too."

"Ahhh—B-But…!" The blue-haired boy protested, arms flailing for Ryuuji and Renzou's side of the bed. Yukio nodded towards the pink-haired boy.

"Shima-kun. The lights, if you please."

"Oh… s-sure…" Renzou pushed the covers off and stepped towards the light switch on the wall. Rin was pouting. Then, he began shuffling towards Konekomaru, who had been smiling at them in amusement. The small boy's smile turned to one of surprise when the blue-haired boy cuddled up beside him. Rin stuck his tongue out at Yukio.

"Bleh, fine then. Konekomaru and I will have fun together instead," He smiled toothily at the young monk and curled his arms and tail around him, "Isn't that right, Konekomaru~?"

"H-Huh…?" Was what he received in reply.

Renzou noticed Yukio clench his jaw in irritation while Ryuuji blinked in shock. The boy with pink hair rolled his eyes, "Well then, I'm turning them off…" Without further ado, he flicked off the light switch. The room plunged into darkness. Renzou squinted, attempting to get a clear view and make it back to his side of the bed without stumbling into anything. As he inched closer to the beds, his eyes gradually adjusted to the faint moonlight streaming in through the window. The boy stared past the translucent beige curtains, finding a sliver of moon peeking back in through the glass at them. He sighed.

It was finally night, huh… What a day it had been. He could only imagine what it would be like the next day…

As he shook his head and placed one hand down on the bed, his other hand on the covers, Renzou's eyes drew towards the far side of the beds, the one closest to the window. A soft smile spread across his lips when he saw the faces of Konekomaru and Rin slightly illuminated in the moon's pale glow. Rin was already nodding off to sleep, hands loose around the troubled smaller boy and tail relaxing back onto his pillow.

Renzou chuckled inwardly and quickly climbed into his own shared bed, causing Ryuuji to grunt and scoot over to give him more room. The boy rubbed his cold feet together as he pulled the covers up to his chin. He was still smiling. His light brown eyes were wide and bright, staring up at the ceiling. Then, he grinned and shut his eyes, turning on his side.

_G'night, Okumura-kun~ See you tomorrow…!_

.:.


	9. Chapter 9

.:.

"Hngh…" Renzou woke up the next morning with the sunlight in his eyes again, "Ugh…" He cringed and tried pulling the covers over his head. But his movements were met with resistance. The boy frowned and opened his eyes a crack, noticing that Ryuuji was also grimacing with his eyes squinted shut and with both hands tugging back on the covers. "Oh, it's you, Bon…" He mumbled sleepily and released his hold on the blankets, deciding to shuffle downwards instead to avoid the rays of light beaming through the large window. As he settled behind Ryuuji's shadow, he got a brief glimpse of the room before dozing off again.

His eyes snapped back open.

_Huh…?_

The pink-haired boy slowly sat up from the bed, rubbing his eyes carefully. Then, he took a look around the room again. The neat pile of bags that they had left untouched last night were now a complete mess; their bags were emptied and strewn all across the floor with garments tossed messily around the room, some even draped up on top of the bookshelf and wardrobe.

"W-W-Wha…?" Why did it look like a storm had passed through…? He stared at the room with round eyes and then prodded at Ryuuji timidly, trying to get the boy awake, "Guys…? Guys…? Uh… w-what happened to our room?"

"Huh?" The boy with blonde-streaked hair grumbled and sat up beside Renzou, massaging one eye with the palm of his hand, "What is it, Shima—ghh?" His eyes widened in a similar fashion as soon as the mess registered in his mind. Ryuuji moved to shake Yukio's shoulder, who was fast asleep with Rin's left leg draped over his stomach. The green-eyed boy moaned and swatted away the annoying hand.

"Hmm… Suguro-kun?" Yukio murmured and propped himself up on one elbow, blinking blearily at the boy, "What is it…? What time is it?"

Ryuuji shook his head back and forth speechlessly. He pointed towards the room, lips drawn into a thin line. Yukio frowned, then lifted himself higher to squint at the walls. As soon as the state of the room met his eyes, the boy's brows raised high into his hairline. He reached behind him, searching for his glasses which he had balanced against the wall and the head of the bed. Flipping them onto his face, he took a careful look over the room again before gaping.

"What in the world…?"

"Yukioo…?" Rin groaned with a slurred voice and removed his leg from his brother while pulling himself up beside the other boys, "What's going on…? Woah…" His blue eyes moved from his friends to the floor of the room, "What the heck happened…?"

Konekomaru was awakened in a similar manner and he rubbed his eyes sleepily, "Okumura-kun, what is…? E-Ehh…? Our bags…!"

A bead of sweat ran down Renzou's head. Who could've done this…? No one in the room would do something like this, right? And the only other people who could've done something were the girls… but they wouldn't do that, right? Maybe it was… could it be…?

"Shura…?" Rin spoke in an uncertain tone, unknowingly echoing everyone's thoughts at the same time. Yukio frowned.

"Perhaps… There is only one way to find out."

.:.

"Haah? Mess up your room…?" The fiery-haired woman exclaimed in indignation as she sawed her way through the waffles Rin had made for their breakfast, "Why the hell would I do somethin' like that, ah?"

Rin laughed meekly, while clutching onto his clothes that had been returned to him earlier in the morning, "But… but then…?"

Shura waved her fork at the boy and narrowed her eyes at him, "Think about it, stupid. You think I'd wake up early in the mornin' just to do somethin' as pointless as that?"

_True… she wouldn't…_

"Besides," The woman started, then stuffed her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. She quickly downed a glass of milk and slapped it down on the table loudly. Shura chortled and then winked at Rin, "If I had to wake up that early fer anythin', it'd make more sense if I dressed you up in my clothes seein' as you didn't wear 'em last night~"

The tea that Shiemi had been drinking came spurting out from her mouth and she coughed violently, using a palm to give her chest a few heavy smacks. Rin's face turned bright red and he pat the blonde-haired girl on the back gently. As the girl calmed, he turned to shout at the red-haired woman in embarrassment, "Gaah, Shuraaa—! Look what you did to Shiemi!"

"Nyahahaha!"

Yukio sighed heavily. "Will you please stop with the nonsense already, Shura-san?" At the mischievous look Shura gave him, he twitched and frowned deeply, "If it wasn't you then who could have done it? To my knowledge, there should be no one else living here while we are exorcising the premises…"

Shura shrugged, "Well, if it ain't human, it's gotta be demons, right? Probably causing some small mischief while you guys were sleeping."

A bead of sweat ran down Renzou's head. Oh man, if it were demons then dang, they were kind of horrible exorcists for not being alert enough…

The woman waved her hand dismissively, "Ehh, well let's finish up with the second floor today. We'll probably flush 'em all out by then, right?" She smirked at the green-eyed professor who remained quiet in thought. After a moment, he began cutting into his piece of waffle again while speaking.

"That is reasonable… but we should put up some wards around our rooms as well. As a precaution."

Shura chuckled, "Yer always so paranoid. But I can agree with ya. I'll take care of the girl's rooms~" Yukio nodded and placed a slice of waffle into his mouth.

Renzou chewed at his food steadily while eyeing the two teachers. Somehow… didn't things suddenly feel a bit odd…? He glanced towards Ryuuji and Konekomaru, who both didn't seem bothered by the conversation. Rin also looked unperturbed, albeit flustered as Shiemi spoke to him with blushing cheeks. Renzou's eyes skimmed over Izumo and Takara, who were both eating nonchalantly. Then his eyes shifted back to the teachers. He swallowed and then glanced up at the ceiling with a parted mouth.

_Oh well…_ The boy with pink hair shrugged to himself, _If no one else is bothered, it's probably nothin'._

And thus, the rest of the day went by in much the same way as it had gone the day before: more clumps of coal tar were cleaned out from the corners and purified, a few more spirits were also found who grabbed at their hair, flipped the girls' skirts up, or had fun tossing spiders in Renzou's direction (one of them had found out his weakness, news travelled fast, and then one thing led to another; Renzou and Takara soon found themselves being ganged up on by several hoards of spirits, all wielding large spiders over their heads). All in all, it was quite exhausting. Especially for one pink-haired boy, whose silent partner did nothing to help him combat the terrifying arachnids.

The only real difference from the day before was the creation of the barrier within their room. Yukio had instructed them carefully, showing them how to draw the chalk lines properly along the walls. They then pasted two charms to the front of the angel statues, which Yukio nodded to in satisfaction. It was something different from what they had ever done before so it was quite interesting for Renzou. Ryuuij, on the other hand, didn't look very impressed. Instead, he seemed to eye the wards warily and then sent questionable looks towards their green-eyed professor. However, if Yukio had noticed, he didn't show it.

Renzou raised an eyebrow at the sudden change of attitude in his friend.

_Bon…? I wonder what he's thinkin'…_

"Good work," Yukio clicked off his cell phone, just having gotten out of a phone call with Shura, "The girl's side is nearly done as well. So if you haven't finished with your investigations on the second floor, go and do so now. As for the groups who have already finished, let's check over the first floor again to make sure we haven't missed anything."

"Yes…!"

Renzou sighed, leaning against his staff wearily. His eyes slid towards Takara, who merely smacked the mouth of his puppet together before leaving for the stairs again. The pink-haired boy hung his head to the side. _Great… here we go again…_ The thought of spiders flying towards him invaded his mind and he shuddered. The boy laughed shakily and wobbled after his partner with haste; with haste because although he was reluctant to go, he was more freaked out at the idea of being left alone with a bunch of spiders flying at him… it sort of helped when someone was there to share the experience… even if that person didn't do anything to help…

"Shima, you okay?" A familiar voice startled him from his thoughts and he nearly jumped from his skin when he found Rin strolling beside him with his arms crossed behind his head casually. The blue-eyed boy was watching him with those curious and adorable eyes again, just like the night before. Renzou managed a weak smile.

"Ahh, Okumura-kun~ Hi… ha ha… you're done with your section?"

Rin nodded once. "Yep. Izumo made us go through everything pretty fast so… What about you?"

"Ahh… ha ha… not done yet… it's been goin' kinda slow for us. Lots of spirits…" At the thought of the obnoxious spirits—who were having the time of their undead lives making him piss his pants—Renzou immediately felt his temper rise, "Ugh, really _**annoying**_ spirits…"

"I see… They're that annoying, huh?" The pink-haired boy saw Rin raise an eyebrow at him while keeping in time to his steps.

"Yeah… they keep throwing bugs at me," Renzou grumbled with irritation and shivered, "Ugh… so gross…"

Rin snickered teasingly, "Oh yeah~ You're like totally useless when it comes to bugs, huh. So lame~"

"Urgh—!" The boy with pink hair felt as though his body had been struck down with a rock that weighed ten tons. Again… Rin called him 'lame' _again_… Renzou sobbed tears of frustration, "C-C'mon, dude… gimme some slack here…"

"He he~" The blue-eyed boy grinned toothily. Then he thrust his fist forward, smacking Renzou in the chest momentarily, causing the pink-haired boy to go, "—oof!" in surprise. Rin scratched at his cheek timidly and a faint blush leapt across his cheeks, "It's a good thing I found this in my bag then… eheh… here." Renzou looked down at the other boy's hand, noticing that his fingers were wrapped around a can of bug spray. He took the canister carefully from Rin, staring at it with round eyes.

_This… is for me…?_

The boy with dark blue hair was still scratching at his cheek meekly. He muttered out in a barely audible voice, "I know you probably have one on you already but… just in case you run out, you can use that. So… t-take care, Shima!" Rin gave his shoulder a friendly punch and then darted off down the corridor, tail whipping behind him excitedly. The boy turned again to wave while calling out a cheery, "See you at dinner~" Then, Rin continued sprinting towards the lobby again. Renzou stared at the boy's retreating figure, completely awestruck. A light blush hopped onto his cheeks.

_W-Why did he have this in his bag…? And wait! How did he know to get me this? I didn't tell him about bein' attacked until just now…_

Regardless of how the boy found out… The pink-haired boy pulled the can of bug spray close to his heart and he felt his morale immediately warm up like a bright flame. _Okumura-kun… no matter how many times I think about it, I just can't get enough of how cute you are…!_

He held back the urge to smile stupidly and lowered his eyes to study the small gift he had received with adoration.

_And even though you keep calling me 'lame' all the time… maybe… you __do__ care for me after all…? At least more than just simple friends?_

But it wasn't that out-of-the-ordinary for Rin to do something sweet for his friends… He'd seen it enough times inside and outside of class to know that the blue-eyed boy was capable of doing the most considerate and unselfish things for even people he didn't know.

_Still…_ He lightly jogged the rest of the way to the stairs, feeling something hot and strong well up within his chest cavity. At the same time, it felt as though there were several hundreds of delicate butterfly wings inside of him, gently batting along the lines of his stomach. It sent tingles down to the tips of his fingers.

_Okumura-kun… I'll hold onto the hope that you do…!_

.:.

The sun was already setting the next time they regrouped for dinner. A golden light flooded in through the arched windows of the dining room, painting all the exorcists' hair in a bright glow. Renzou's head fell onto the table, utterly exhausted.

"Urgh… that was horrible…" He groaned into the wood. After receiving the can of bug spray, the number of spirits wielding insects had surprisingly dwindled greatly. He found that he didn't even have to use Rin's present for him at all (and so, he was safekeeping it as a treasure). But that still didn't make the job of clearing the spirits out any faster or simpler. Konekomaru laughed optimistically.

"Well… at least most of them are gone now. Tomorrow should be easier…!"

"I hope you're right, Koneko-san. I totally **don't** want to see another spirit tryin' to fling a spider at me again."

"Heh," Ryuuji smirked at him, "Then you should hope that you don't meet any of the stragglers durin' the courage test tonight."

Renzou froze, eyes turning wide. Then he threw his head into his arms, kicking his legs wildly as he cried.

"Argh…! I can't believe you just said that, Bon! Now I'm gonna be so freaked out…!"

Rin's head peeped out from the kitchen doorway with an enthusiastic smile over his lips. "Did I just hear, 'courage test'? Are we going to start soon?" Although they couldn't see his tail, they could hear rapid and distinct whapping noises against the wall. Yukio smiled at his brother.

"Yes, we'll start that event after we take our baths. It should help relax us before going into the test."

_Ooh~ Good idea, Okumura-sensei!_ Renzou felt an eager grin split across his face, _Having courage tests after baths are the best…! The girls will smell so nice and their skin will be all soft and warm to touch~ Maybe Okumura-kun's skin will stay all pink and flushed like yesterday, too. That would be so cute…! _He sighed happily to himself, imagining Rin's warm and fresh smelling body pressed up against him as they went through the dark corridors of the mansion with their arms linked together.

"Ohh, after bathing is it?" Rin's eyes sparkled and he nodded in understanding, "Okay~ Can't wait…! Ah, and here," He hauled out a tub of rice, followed after by Izumo and Shiemi with steaming pots in their hands, "We still had a lot of ingredients left and a lot of the rice that we brought over. So I threw stuff together to make curry and vegetable soup~ Should be pretty awesome, hee hee."

They tucked into the lovely meal, which was both nostalgic and tasty at the same time. Renzou savored the taste of curry in his mouth and laughed inwardly. _If someone asked me who my ideal wife is like, would it be strange if I answered with, 'Okumura-kun'…? Haha… but geez, I still can't believe how great he is at cooking…_ He gulped down a mouthful of the hot vegetable soup and nodded blissfully as his senses were assaulted with the perfect mesh of flavors and spices. _How is he so good at it?_

The pink-haired boy shifted his gaze towards Rin, who was smiling at Shiemi as she complimented him vigorously on his cooking. Renzou stared at the boy gently. Suddenly, he seemed to realize that there was still a lot that he didn't know about Rin… Like why he had never been into a game center before or how he had learned how to cook. What was he like before his life was turned upside down by discovering who he really was? Was he just as kind, just as warm as he was now…? Normally, he could care less about another person's life. But he found himself wondering about the blue-eyed boy…

"You're not scared, Shiemi?" He heard Rin ask curiously as they began discussing about the Test-of-Courage to be held later in the evening. The blonde shook her head softly.

"More than scared, I'm really excited…!" She smiled, "It will be my first time doing something like this after all, just like Rin!" The two beamed at each other and Renzou nearly snorted from how similar their expressions looked at the moment. The boy with pink hair continued to watch the pair through half-lidded eyes. They were so close to each other… He idly wondered how they had come to share such a strong bond.

"I'm kinda jealous…" Renzou sighed and spooned some curry into his mouth. Ryuuji paused to raise an eyebrow at him. The boy's gaze turned towards Rin and Shiemi, who were sitting side by side like the way they always sat during classes. He rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"You're an idiot."

"Huh?" Renzou blinked back at his friend, who merely returned to shoveling in another mouthful of food.

Why did he say that…?

But he wasn't able to find out because Ryuuji refused to say anything further about it. Gradually, they all finished their meals and after taking a good, long soak in the baths—which thankfully had not been raided by Shura this time—the males and females joined each other in the main lobby, right in front of the marble staircase. They found Yukio waiting there, who had left the bath early to make preparations for the test. Shura had left early as well, but no sign of her was seen…

Renzou felt his heart pump just a bit faster than usual as they approached the stairs. This was it…! The start of the long-awaited Test-of-Courage…! His eyes darted towards Rin, who was trembling with excitement. The tension surrounding the blue-eyed boy was so strong that he could feel his heart race just from looking at him. Then again… that could've been just as likely due to how warm and soft Rin looked after his bath… it made Renzou ache to reach over and touch him.

"Well then," Yukio sent a smile towards the group, who were now all dressed in comfortable clothes, fit for sleeping in, "Let me explain how the test has been set up:

"You will first be split into pairs and then sent off at different times down a specific route. We'll do a random drawing to find out which pair goes first. The overall aim is to finish off certain tasks that have been placed along the route. There will be hints that you'll find after each task and they will lead you towards the next area. So please look for those hints carefully or you may end up lost. Once you have found and finished all three tasks, you will return to the dining room where the rest of us will be waiting. The next pair will then leave."

Renzou gaped at his professor. Wow… it was pretty thorough for being set-up in such a short amount of time…

The green-eyed boy raised a hand to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose, "Please keep in mind, however, that you only have a limited amount of time to finish all the tasks… also—" The lights suddenly went out and Shiemi squeaked in surprise as darkness engulfed them from every corner of the room.

"Huh? Yukio?" Renzou could hear Rin exclaim in surprise from several feet away.

"What's goin' on here?" Ryuuji's voice sounded shocked and confused beside him. But he received no reply from Yukio, whose presence had seemingly vanished into the black shadows.

Renzou gulped, eyes stretching wide to find any source of light. With the lobby so dark, the mansion seemed somehow more spacious than he originally thought it was… He couldn't see anyone anymore. But the soft breathing from his classmates told him that they were all still nearby.

"Uwahh—! What the hell was that…?" Renzou jumped when Rin suddenly yelped.

"R-Rin? What happened?" He heard Shiemi's voice cry out from a distance away.

"S-Something weird and slimy touched my arm… hang on, I'm gonna—"

A small light flickered on in the darkness, cutting him off. Yukio's face was illuminated by a small flashlight and he smiled casually, "Brother, you are not allowed to use your flames. That's cheating."

"Ah…!" Rin blinked in surprise and Renzou could see that the boy was in a ready stance, almost about to release his blue flames. The blue-eyed boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and returned to a relaxed stance, "O-Oh…"

"As I was saying… also, you will only have one flashlight per pair to make your way through the course. If you don't make it back within fifteen minutes, well…" A slight frown crossed his face and he adjusted his glasses again, "… we'll see. After all, there may still be some things lurking about that have been hiding from us…"

Beads of sweat ran down Renzou's head. _Dang, what a way to set the mood… I'm gettin' a bit creeped out already. N-Nice goin', Okumura-sensei…!_ His eyes darted towards Rin, who seemed to be a bit nervous but nevertheless excited. The eager look on Rin's face brought a smile to his lips. He hoped that the blue-eyed boy would have a good experience.

"Now for the pairs…" Yukio nodded and slowly drew out a few slips of paper from his breast pocket, "First of all, Takara-kun, you didn't want to participate?" The boy nodded wordlessly. The young professor handed the boy an unused flashlight and gestured towards his right, "Then Takara-kun, I'll have you join Kirigakure-sensei for the time being. She'll be waiting for you in the kitchen." The blonde-haired boy nodded in understanding and then left with the flashlight leading the way. As he disappeared towards the kitchens, Yukio smiled at them all again. "Right then, I assume the rest of you will be participating. That makes three pairs. Who would like to come draw first?"

Oh? He wasn't going to participate? Odd… Renzou tilted his head to the side in confusion. He imagined that Yukio would want to pair up with Rin and go together… then again, since the professor knew where everything was and what each task was, it wouldn't be really fair, huh…

Rin's hand shot up along with Shiemi's. Yukio stifled a laugh and shook his head, "Okay, Shiemi, you can go first. Then, brother. No peeking until after everyone has received their piece of paper."

The two took turns picking out the sheet of paper they wanted. Then, the rest of the papers followed after the first two, evenly distributing out among the six students. Renzou clutched his sheet of paper tightly. _Please let me pair with Okumura-kun… please let me pair with Okumura-kun… please let me pair with Okumura-kun…!_ He chanted in a heated mantra.

"Does everyone have their papers? Then, if you please…" Yukio finally signaled for them to look inside the sheets. Renzou fumbled with his square of paper, unfolding it to find a star painted roughly in the middle with some sort of red substance. He raised his eyebrows at the symbol and placed a finger to the red paint. After pulling his fingers away and rubbing them together, he chuckled knowingly. _What is this, lipstick…? I guess Shura made these… well, I got to hand it to them. They __**are**__ trying… ha ha~_

"E-Eek! Why is there an 'X' on the paper… a-and it's… r-red?" Shiemi whimpered, holding the paper out at arms length. Renzou stifled a laugh. Oh wow, this was great! Someone was getting scared already…! These types of events were always better when there was someone who was easily scared~

Rin's head perked up from his paper after hearing the blonde speak. He shuffled towards the girl and spoke with interest.

"You have a red 'X'?"

"Y-Yes… what about Rin…?"

The blue-eyed boy beamed and unfolded his sheet of paper for the girl to see. "Me, too! Red 'X'! Hee hee~ Looks like we'll be partners. We'll be like… the Rookie Pair! Gyahaha!"

Renzou felt his stomach drop. _N-Noo…! I'm not with Okumura-kun… dammit! And even worse, he's with Moriyama-san…? Why couldn't it be with Koneko-san… or… well, Koneko-san. Urgh, so unlucky…_ He sniffled. Then he lifted his piece of paper, staring at the red star sadly. Well… if it wasn't with Rin, who had the red star?

"Oi, what did you two get?" Ryuuji nudged him with an elbow and then flashed his sheet of paper, revealing a whirlpool looking symbol in the middle of the page. Konekomaru chuckled and raised his square of paper up.

"I'm with Bon, it seems."

Then that meant…

Renzou's eyes shot towards the purple-haired girl, who was staring at her piece of paper through narrowed eyes. Then, she lifted her head up to look at him.

"You have a red star?" She asked simply. The pink-haired boy rubbed the back of his head, feeling a bit timid all of a sudden.

"A-Aa… yeah," He showed her the piece of paper, both of their symbols matching each other. Renzou laughed quickly to conceal the disappointment still lingering within his heart, "Looks like I'll be paired with Izumo-chan then, aha~"

"… hmph." She whipped her head away from him rudely, pigtails flying out at the air. Beads of sweat ran down his head.

_Great… well, this should be interesting… _He sighed. Yukio looked at the groups, pleased by how they had all been divided, and then handed each pair a flashlight.

"Good, now please do a round of rock, paper, scissors to decide who will be going first." They did as they were told and soon the order was decided: first whirlpool, then star, and lastly, the X group. Yukio nodded towards the stairs and lifted his wrist up to check the time, "Okay, Suguro-kun, Miwa-kun. Your route starts on these steps. We'll be waiting in the dining room. Once you see our lights fade away, you two may start. Understood?"

"Yes!"

Yukio smirked and then ushered the rest of the students towards the dining hall. "I wish you two the best of luck."

Renzou laughed uneasily and glanced over his shoulder to wave a hand at his two friends. Konekomaru waved back, an unconcerned smile across his face. Ryuuji wore an expressionless look as he nodded to him in acknowledgement. Then, the pink-haired boy turned the corner, following after Yukio and leaving the two boys in the pitch black lobby.

As they continued down the corridor, which was gradually becoming brighter and brighter along the way to the kitchens, Renzou noticed Rin nod to Shiemi and then fall back to join him by his side.

"Yo, Shima!" The blue-eyed boy smiled at him. Renzou felt his heart flutter immediately.

"O-Oh~ Hey there, Okumura-kun…!"

"So…" Rin leaned over sneakily and reached up to whisper into his ear, "I guess you're pretty happy, huh? Being able to pair up with a girl and all…" The sound of the boy's voice tickled Renzou's ear and he felt his cheeks grow hot. However, he frowned slightly. The pink-haired boy sighed.

"Well… it's not bad but…"

Rin pulled back slowly, sending him a confused look. "You're not happy?"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and looked away at the ceiling, "Aha ha~ Kinda…"

"Ehhh? Are you feeling sick?"

"T-That's not it… it's just…" His chestnut-colored eyes darted towards the boy, then back to the walls. _Should I tell him…? Oh what the heck, why not._ He grinned at Rin with ease, but his heart was beating abnormally fast, "I kinda… wanted to be paired with you, aha~"

Renzou saw Rin's cheeks turn a satisfying shade of red. His grin grew wider, thoroughly pleased for having made the blue-eyed boy all flustered. Rin's mouth opened, closed, then after a pause, he parted his mouth open to speak again.

"O-Oh… but… I'm not a girl?"

The pink-haired boy snorted, "Pfft! I know that… but…" He scratched his cheek awkwardly, cheeks glowing, "I like bein' with you…?" Rin stared back at him wordlessly and he felt the urge to run away under the boy's unblinking gaze.

_Haha… I wonder what he's thinkin'…?_ He laughed uneasily in his mind. _Will he get creeped out…?_

Finally, the boy smiled; one of his wide, bright-eyed smiles.

"Thanks, Shima~ Eheh, I like being with you, too…!"

He felt his heart jump ecstatically. "R-Really?"

"Yeah, well…" Rin laughed, "I didn't before." Renzou nearly tripped over his feet. _Urgh, did he think I was __**that**__ uncool…?_ The boy continued, "But now… yeah…" A slightly wistful look crossed the boy's face, then an expression of confusion went by his eyes. After a moment, Renzou watched him quickly shake his head and then fidget with his hands. Rin sent an awkward smile back up at him. "A-Anyway, mm… yeah, it would've been fun if we could do the test together…"

"Yeah, it would've…" Renzou trailed off, still watching the blue-eyed boy's actions. Rin had so many expressions… it was really enjoyable to watch. But at the same time, it made him wonder what he was thinking… Was Rin thinking about him, maybe? His heart warmed at the thought of the boy making so many faces just by thinking about him. Renzou chuckled dryly to himself. _Well… that's just me dreaming. He's probably not thinkin' about me the way I think about him at all… ha ha…_

"Ahem." Yukio cleared his throat, sending a frown in his direction, "We're here. Please remain in your pairs as we wait for the first team to come back…"

Indeed, he hadn't noticed but they had already reached the dining room area, which was still brightly illuminated by the ceiling lights. Renzou sighed back at the green-eyed professor but nevertheless did as he was told and went to find a seat beside Izumo. Rin's attention had returned to Shiemi and the two sat across from him and Izumo, occasionally striking up an excited conversation with each other. Most of the time, however, Rin seemed to be staring far-off into the distance. Renzou chuckled to himself. _Haha, he's even cute when he's spacing out…! Pfft…!_

The blue-eyed boy suddenly blinked and then glanced around the room curiously, Then, he piped up, turning towards Yukio who was calmly reading a book he had taken out from his inner pocket.

"Hey, wait… where's Takara and Shura?" His eyes were slightly wide with alarm, "Yukio, didn't you say they would be here…?"

Renzou snickered to himself. Obviously, those two had probably gone to scare Ryuujji and Konekomaru… after all, this was a Test-of-Courage. It would be no fun if no one was there to purposefully scare the teams…

Yukio paused to look up at his brother in surprise. Then, he slowly closed his book and turned towards the kitchens. "That's right, I did tell them to meet us here… odd…" The young professor's eyebrows furrowed together and he stood up from his seat. "Stay here for now," He ordered them curtly, "I'll go look for them."

Renzou froze. W-What…? Wait, was this for real? It wasn't planned…?

"I-I'll go, too…!" Rin clambered up from his seat but Yukio cut him off with a hand.

"No. I'm sure they're just loitering around. Or maybe they decided to go pester Suguro-kun and Miwa-kun… who knows what that woman is thinking…" The green-eyed boy sighed and then stuffed his book back into his jacket. He sent Rin a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, I'll be back soon. So just stay here. Besides, if you go now you'll ruin the game for yourself."

"O-Oh…" The blue-eyed boy sank back down into his seat reluctantly, "…okay. But if anything happens, call us, alright?"

Yukio nodded and then turned towards Izumo, "If I don't return by the time Suguro-kun and Miwa-kun return, just continue on with the game. Brother, Shiemi, I'll have you two keep time for them if that happens. Ah, and your route will start in the right hallway. Brother, yours is the left hallway. Understood?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Good. I'll see you then." He adjusted his glasses once and then turned to leave out into the hall, figure disappearing into the darkness. Rin's gaze lingered on the doorway for another second before he sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"He better get back soon or I'll show him hell…" He grumbled irritably while folding his arms over his chest. Renzou laughed nervously.

"Aha ha… I'm sure it'll be fine…"

Rin continued to pout.

"It's just as Shima-kun says…" Shiemi smiled weakly, "Yuki-chan is very capable so…"

The group lapsed into silence as Rin kept staring at the dining room entrance impatiently. Renzou felt beads of sweat run down his head when the blue-eyed boy began tapping his foot on the floor. His eyes darted towards the large grandfather clock set up against the far wall. About five minutes had passed by…

_H-Hurry up, Okumura-sensei…_ He pleaded, turning from the clock to Rin, then back again. Several more minutes of tense silence passed. But soon, the sound of rapid footsteps came echoing from the corridor. Rin's tail shot up and he jumped forward, rising from his seat eagerly.

"Yukio?"

But it was only Ryuuji and Konekomaru who quickly emerged from the shadows. They took deep breaths as they entered the room and their faces were unusually pale and sweaty. Renzou slowly stood up from his seat, eyes wide from taking in their condition. What had happened to them…? Rin's tail drooped and his shoulders fell with disappointment.

"What? It's only you guys…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ryuuji grunted out indignantly between breaths. The two settled into a pair of chairs and laid their heads down on the table. "Ugh… what the _hell_ was that test…?"

"Wha-What happened, Bon? Koneko-san…?" Renzou swallowed, feeling too afraid to ask but at the same time too curious not to. What sort of crazy Test-of-Courage was this…?

A look of worry crossed over Rin's face and he leaned towards them timidly.

"O-Oi… are you guys okay…?"

Ryuuji looked up at the blue-eyed boy. Then, he gulped and glanced away, eyes darting back and forth quickly across the table, "Y-Yeah… as for what happened, sorry but… I can't say…"

"W-What? Why?" The boy with pink hair asked. Ryuuji merely shook his head, murmuring a simple, "You'll… find out later…" Renzou turned to Konekomaru, but the small boy did the same, shaking his head and refusing to give a clear answer. Renzou frowned. This was highly strange… what was this that they couldn't even tell him?

He felt something jab the back of his ribs and he jumped, whipping around in surprise. Izumo motioned with her head to the doors, "Let's go. Okumura-sensei told us to carry on, didn't he?"

"W-What?" He spoke simultaneously with Rin and the two exchanged looks of anxiety. Rin's eyebrows furrowed together.

"You guys are still planning to go…?"

Renzou waved his hands in the air, giving the purple-haired girl an apprehensive look, "W-Wait…! I dunno about this… Things are startin' to get kinda creepy around here. Okumura-sensei isn't back yet. And now, even Bon and Koneko-san came back all weird and all…" The two boys who were addressed stared at each other. Then, as if coming to a decision, Ryuuji turned towards the pink-haired boy while rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand.

"No, well… it's not as bad as you're thinkin' it as. Sorry," He mumbled under his breath, "We're kinda givin' the wrong impression… or I guess, we're givin' the right impression…? But yeah, just go. Actually, you should just go get it over with and come back as soon as possible. Then, we'll all be able to go to sleep in peace."

Konekomaru smiled calmly, "Yes, it's exactly as Bon says. Don't worry, it's all very safe. But quite exhausting… ha ha…"

The boy with pink hair raised an eyebrow at them. Well… if they put it _that_ way… and besides, there was no reason not to believe them. In fact, there was never a time where he remembered not believing what they told him. He smiled and began walking towards the door, heart thoroughly settled by his friends' words.

"S-Shima?" He heard Rin cry out his name and he glanced over his shoulder, noticing that the boy's hands were clenched tightly over the table top. The boy's eyes were wide and frightened. He sent a grin back reassuringly.

"Relax, Okumura-kun~ I believe in Bon and Koneko-san. If they say it's nothin', then it's nothin'." Renzou chuckled when he saw Rin bite down on his bottom lip, still filled with unease, "C'mon, you can trust 'em~"

The boy pouted. "I-I know that…!"

He snickered, "Yep~ So it'll be alright. And Okumura-kun… I'm sure Okumura-sensei will be back soon. So… stop lookin' so freaked out, alright? We'll finish this in under fifteen minutes and be back before you even know it~" He added on a smirk to the end and lifted two fingers to salute the boy, "See you!" As he finished, Renzou turned to leave, tucking his hands into his pockets while smiling at the dark hallway in a carefree manner. But Rin's voice called for him again.

"Shima!"

He paused and looked over his shoulder curiously.

"Mm?"

Rin was staring straight at him, blue eyes unwavering with an earnest and almost desperate look within them, "Be… be careful…!"

His heart floated up into his throat and did amazing somersaults in his chest. "O-Ou…! Roger~" He sent the boy a brilliant grin and then sighed happily as he left out the door. Rin was being so concerned for him…! How nice~ It was really rare for someone to be that worried for him… so he had to cherish this feeling while it lasted…!

Izumo sent him a disgusted look but continued leading them down the darkening corridor with the flashlight in one hand. Soon, they were engulfed in the darkness of the mansion and Renzou shivered slightly, moving closer to the purple-haired girl who had the only source of light in the vicinity. They made it past the main stairwell of the lobby and marched straight on towards the right hallway, the designated starting point of their test. The boy with pink hair glanced curiously at the girl in front of him, eyes darting from the floor that was being illuminated by the thin beam of light and then back to the girl.

"Izumo-chan, you're not scared?" He heard himself ask accidentally. The boy hastily clamped his mouth shut and gulped, preparing to be yelled at within the next second. But the girl merely sent him a frown before scoffing.

"As if something like this would be scary. Are you an idiot?" She flicked her head away from him arrogantly and he laughed.

"You're right… I guess it's not that scary, huh."

They finally made it to the doors of the right hallway and Izumo pushed one of the doors in simply. As the hinge creaked open, their beam of light flashed past something white. It had looked like a face. A very pale face. The two jumped in shock and Izumo aimed the flashlight in the direction of the face again. But it had disappeared.

"W-What the hell…?" Renzou swallowed thickly. What was that just now…? It… it had n-no eyes… just two gaping eye sockets…

"L-Let's… let's keep going. The faster we finish this, the better off we are." Izumo muttered and marched bravely in through the doors.

"A-Ah, wait!" He leapt after her, trying to stay beside the only light source in the area as closely as possible. They continued through the hallway without another word spoken, listening only to the tapping sounds of their feet on the cold, tiled floors. Renzou's eyes jumped from wall to wall, glancing over the beautiful paintings of landscapes and portraits hanging there, barely visible in the dim glow of the flashlight.

_We're in the hallway to the right, which means the girls sleep here, huh…_ He vaguely noted while staring at one particular painting up ahead with his mouth slightly ajar. _It's kind of different from our hallway… but we have paintings, too. What is it that makes it feel so different? Hmm… I mean, we've got those sets of samurai armor but… _His eyes darted around, noticing that there were several suits of medieval armor standing upright against the walls. He raised an eyebrow at them. _It's not because of that, right? It's… oh! I know now! The walls are a different color~ _The boy chuckled to himself, noting that they were painted a brilliant cobalt blue. It reminded him of Rin's eyes. _Haha, no wonder they have a different feeling to them…_ They passed the painting that he had been staring at previously. He gaped at it again, mesmerized by the vibrant colors. But as they passed, a sliver of pale white caught his eye. He gasped and gripped the purple-haired girl's shoulder fearfully.

"I-Izumo-chan! Izumo-chan…!"

"What is it?" She replied with irritation thick in her tone. She wrung her shoulder away from his hand and having successfully caught her attention, he pointed towards the painting that was a few feet away.

"I thought I saw something over there…!"

She frowned and gave him a slightly disbelieving look. Then, she drew the beam of light towards the painting and the two back-tracked, moving closer. A sheet of paper was stuck on the wooden cabinet sitting beneath the painting, placed gently between a bronze goblet and a slim candle holder. Izumo reached for it curiously and flipped the piece of paper open with her free hand. Renzou peered down at the paper as well, excited at their new find. Could it be the first task…?

On the paper was a scrawl of familiar red lipstick, spelling out the words: LOOK BEHIND.

The two stared at the paper. Then they glanced over their shoulders, turning their flashlight towards the wall behind them. The same pale face they had seen before was glaring back at them, pallid face looking even more eerie with the beam of light completely shining on it.

_H-Holy shit, what the hell…?_ Renzou leapt back and reached into his clothes. His fingers grazed across the comforting metal of his staff and he quickly whipped it out, fitting all the pieces together with well-practiced hands. Izumo, he noticed, had also jumped back. Her hands were poised up in preparation, summoning charms all ready and waiting to be activated at any second. They scowled back at the odd creature for a moment. Then, the sound of someone's applause broke the tension. The pair blinked and the pale face suddenly moved stiffly aside to reveal Shura. She was grinning back at them.

"Yer reactions are not bad at all~ Though ya could've been a bit more quicker at picking up on when something's wrong, nyaha."

Beads of sweat ran down Renzou's head. _W-W-Whaaat…?_

"Okay, guess it's time for yer first task. Right then… I'll just do the same as before, should be alright with four-eyes…" She stuck a hand into the pale face's mouth and began rummaging inside for something. Renzou's jaw dropped from the horrifying sight. "Oh yeah, how do ya like the doll? Takara made it. Pretty neat, ain't it? And what's more…" The woman smirked so evilly the boy could almost see demons crawling out from the shadows of the floor. She slowly began pulling out the hilted end of a wooden sword, yanking it gradually from the creepy doll's throat. Then, she licked her lips, "I can keep dangerous stuff in here… like this sword. Heh. Now let's see if you can pass this first task." Shura whipped the sword out in one go and pointed it towards them menacingly:

"Avoid my blows for at least forty-five seconds and you're set. But if just one of you guys gets hit, the timer will restart. Got it~?"

"WHAAAAT—?" Renzou shrieked, clutching his staff close to his chest. Izumo was already running, beads of sweat running down her neck. Shura smirked.

"Oh yeah, forgot to say. Try not to knock anythin' over while we're in here, got it? Otherwise there will be penalty points." She winked once and then promptly charged at them. Before his mind could register anything else, Renzou's feet had already spun his body around and dashed off at a speed the eye could barely keep up with.

"S-Shiiiiii—iiit! What the hell _**is this**_…?" He screamed, running for his life as Shura cackled behind him, hot on his trail. He could see Izumo ahead of him, sprinting with all her might as well. "This…! This isn't a Test-of-Courage! Isn't this just training?"

"You're wrong!" Shura shouted back in glee, "It IS a test! It's a test of your abilities! Now lemme hit you, nyahahaha~!"

"Noooo—!"

.:.


	10. Chapter 10

.:.

It was already seven minutes into the 'game'. Renzou heaved a loud sigh from his lungs, still thoroughly irritated by the task they had just completed. They had been able to clear the first task in about three minutes and the pink-haired boy had left with several aching lashes on his back. His battle wounds would likely bruise by the time they went to sleep and he was not looking forward to that at all.

The second task, which they had found about a minute later by back-tracking and exploring through some of the rooms (the note was hanging from one of the bookshelves and had read, "LOOK UP", which after doing so, they were promptly assaulted by a pile of dusty books), was hosted by Takara. As quiet as the blonde usually was, his task was even more obnoxiously quiet than himself. His puppet had spat at them, "Listen up! I'll only say this once, ya stupid brats! Balance the fuckin' books on yer head and when I throw these stones at you, dodge them. If ye can't dodge 'em, then I add more books. Dodge three times and you pass. Now stand over there, you bastards!" And thus, the torturous wait in silence commenced as they stood balancing books on their heads while attempting to sense when the blonde would fire stones at them.

Now, they were onto their last task with eight minutes left and counting. Renzou squinted down the corridors, head swishing back and forth, searching frantically for the last paper.

"Do you see it, Izumo-chan? I haven't found anythin' yet…" He leaned towards her, wondering why she had suddenly stopped in the middle of hall. Just as he peered over her shoulder, she seemed to jump in surprise and then scowl at him. The purple-haired girl swatted him away, nearly smacking him in the face.

"Could you please stop talking to me?" The girl grumbled, obviously just as frustrated by the previous tasks as he was, "I'm trying to concentrate."

Renzou smiled dryly. _Haha… she's so mean when it's not Okumura-kun, huh…_ The boy with pink hair shook his head sadly, "Aah… I know you wanted to be with Okumura-kun for this but… there's no need to be so mean to me, ya know~"

Izumo stiffened immediately. He grinned when he saw the girl's neck turn slightly pink from behind. _Bingo~ And now she's totally gonna turn around and deny it, haha~_

She whipped around, hands balled together into trembling fists.

"I… I-I think you're misunderstanding something here! W-Who ever said I wanted to be with that guy…?" Her cheeks were red with embarrassment and it took every fiber of muscle in him to keep himself from laughing.

"Pfft—!" But he failed. "S-Sure… aha ha…! Just keep tellin' yourself that… bwahaha!"

Her face was completely red now and she chewed at her lips, at a loss as to what to do. The purple-haired girl shouted back angrily all of a sudden, "W-Well? So then what about _**you**_, huh? You've changed lately. Don't tell me… you fell for that guy?"

Renzou's laughter caught in his throat. His eyes grew round and it was his turn to turn red. "H-Huh…?" He stuttered nervously, eyes darting towards the ceiling. Oh man, was he really obvious or something…? And even though there were people who already knew his feelings for Rin, being exposed all the time like this still took some time to get used to… not to mention the fact that it was Kamiki Izumo of all people—a girl, a classmate, and someone he had been previously interested in—who was finding out about him.

"I knew it," She smirked haughtily, blush beginning to fade away and looking steadily more triumphant now that the tables had been turned. "You like him, don't you?"

He gulped. Well… there was no use hiding it. Besides, she wouldn't just randomly go up to Rin and tell him that he was in love with him… so there was no need to worry about the blue-eyed boy finding out (before he was ready to tell him, that is).

"Y-Yeah…" His gaze fell to the floor and he fidgeted nervously, wondering what the girl would say. But to his surprise, she didn't say anything. He thought she would laugh mockingly and maybe even call him disgusting. There was only silence. Renzou took a peek at her and he blinked in confusion when she only seemed to regard him with a curious yet slightly shocked expression. Then, her cheeks grew pink and she coughed awkwardly.

"Oh… is…" She averted her gaze shyly to the side, "Is that so…"

…_huh?_

"Um… yeah." He scratched at his cheek uncomfortably. What was with this atmosphere…? Somehow… he got the feeling that she didn't hate him as much anymore…? A bead of sweat ran down his head.

_W-Why?_

"Oh… well, ahem… I'm not really cheering you on or anything but… g-good… good luck." She murmured quietly before turning away on her foot and rushing off with the flashlight to search for the last task.

"Wha—?" He stared at her retreating figure dumbly. Did she just…? Was that… _encouragement_ just now? But wait! Didn't she like Rin as well? Why would she tell him, 'Good luck'? The pink-haired boy found himself confused and completely left in the dark. Literally and figuratively. Renzou flinched as he snapped back to reality and quickly made the decision to shove his confusion to the back of his mind. Then he hastily sprang into action again, following after the fading beam of light. "W-Wait! Izumo-chan, don't go so far…!"

Within a few seconds, he caught up beside the girl. The boy heaved a few breaths of air in, panting from the sudden exertion of energy. He glanced at her with one eye open and his line of sight immediately drew itself to a sheet of paper in her hands. Renzou smiled.

"Oh! You found the last one! What's it say?"

She opened it for him, still looking slightly bashful for reasons unknown to him. He peered at the lettering, which was surprisingly not in red text like the last two letters. Instead, a fine and elegant print in black ink was scratched across the paper. It read: Took you long enough.

"Huh…" Renzou raised an eyebrow at the note. That handwriting… didn't it belong to—

"Hmph, I see you two didn't find the hints at all to reach here, did you…" A familiar voice muttered from the shadows and they both felt something touch their shoulders, "You both severely lacked the mentality to stay focused in alarming situations. Please take note of that in future occasions."

Izumo flashed the beam of light towards the wall. The owner of the voice was none other than their green-eyed professor, who they found climbing out from one of the wall panels while holding a pair of make-shift skeleton hands made from twisted paper. Yukio tucked the props away and pat his clothes off of dust. Then, he adjusted his glasses.

"But, I must applaud you on making it to the last task without using any hints. You still have four minutes left."

"Okumura-sensei…!" Renzou exclaimed. Where the hell had this guy been? Rin was worried sick about him…!

"Shima-kun, Kamiki-san." He smiled casually, "I'm glad you two listened to me. I'm sure Okumura-kun must've been difficult to deal with…"

_What are you sayin', idiot? Do you know how worried you're making him? _Renzou frowned at his teacher. Yukio seemed to understand.

"It was necessary… For everyone's training as well as to make the Test-of-Courage as frightening as possible. I'm afraid Okumura-kun wouldn't be frightened unless I created a scenario such as this. Although this only happened because he's part of the last team who is taking the test. If he were first, it wouldn't have to be as nerve wracking… it was quite an unlucky turn of events."

"Yeah, but you can't just say that and then pass it off…! Right now, you've taken it a bit too far, don't you think?" The pink-haired boy continued to glare at Yukio accusingly. This guy was blessed with someone who cared about him _that _much. Yet here he was, abusing that gentle kindness. For someone like him, who was rarely given that kind of care… there was no way he could let this go so easily…! Especially because the person Yukio was taking advantage of was Rin!

_Okumura-sensei, __**you**__…!_

The green-eyed boy stared back at him for a moment, eyes cold and challenging. After a second, a bitter smile quirked up the corners of his mouth. But as quick as it had come, the miniscule smile faded away. He shook his head.

"In any case, the sooner you finish your test, the sooner Okumura-kun will stop worrying. So I'll introduce you to your last task. The rules are simple…" He reached into his jacket and lifted their class textbook out, "Within one minute, you must recite from memory the passages that I will indicate from this book. You only pass when both people finish their series of passages. If you fail, I will give you as much time as you like to read over the passage and memorize it. You may then try again from the top. But remember, you only have four minutes left…" Yukio opened up the book forebodingly and the glare from his spectacles shielded one of his eyes from view. He was still smiling, "Please use your time wisely."

_W-What? Shit…!_

.:.

It was over. It was finally over…!

Izumo and Renzou had managed to complete the last task with just thirty seconds to spare. Yukio had merely smiled and nodded at them, murmuring a quick, "Good job" before telling them that if they mentioned anything in the test (before the last group finished) to the other teams, they would have to stay after cram school for some… as Yukio put it: "…remedial lessons to improve the performance" of what they had done today. For an entire week.

The pink-haired boy shook his head back and forth vigorously. There was no way he was going to go through something like _that_ again…! Let alone a week of it…! What was with that test? Was it just the teachers' excuse to be as frighteningly fearsome and dictator-like as they wanted to be?

_N-No wonder Bon didn't say anythin'… ha ha… must've been told the same thing after going through some kind of hellish test, too…_

The two of them were just leaving out from the doors of the right hallway when angry shouts and the pattering of furious feet resounded across the cavern-like lobby, ringing from the direction of the dining room.

"**Idiot**! Didn't I say it's nothin' to worry about already? Get back here!"

"I know, but…! But what if something really _**did**_ happen to them? Can you guarantee that nothing's happened?"

"Rin…!"

"You think I can just stand still and not do something when they could be in trouble?"

Renzou exchanged looks of bewilderment with Izumo. The two walked quietly towards the main staircase where they saw another few beams of light wavering closer and closer from the far corridor.

"Okumura-kun…?" Renzou called out carefully. One of the lights seemed to halt. Then, suddenly, there was a rushing of feet accompanied by the yelps of, "Oi…!", "O-Okumura-kun…!", and "R-Rin?" The blue-eyed boy sprinted out from the mouth of the hallway, eyes narrowed in determination. His head swept across the dark lobby, searching frantically. As soon as his gaze landed on the pink-haired boy and the purple-haired girl, his shoulders seemed to sag with relief. Renzou grinned and waved a hand casually, "Yo~ We're back…!"

Rin's eyes instantly hardened and a frown leapt across his lips. He pointed a finger and shouted, just as Ryuuji, Konekomaru, and Shiemi dashed in from behind, "Bastard, you're late…!"

Renzou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "S-Sorry about that… forgive me, it was pretty tough getting through that test… aha~"

" 'Aha~' my ass!" Rin stormed towards him, eyes blazing. The boy gripped him tightly by the collar of his shirt, pulling him down a few centimeters so that they were looking eye to eye, "What took you so long?"

"U-Uh…" Renzou, rather than feeling intimidated, felt his heart speed up, "Well…" The boy's face was so close to his… all he had to do was lean forward a bit more and then… But w-wait…! Right now wasn't the time for that! He couldn't tell Rin the truth…! Otherwise… those torturous remedial lessons…! "Aha, umm… s-sorry, I can't tell you yet…"

"What?"

"Well… I can't explain it now but… y-you'll see…"

Rin glared into his eyes and the pink-haired boy's heart constricted with guilt. _Sorry, Okumura-kun… but it's okay, you'll find out soon anyway…_ Rin slowly loosened his firm hold on his clothes. Then his eyes lowered, bangs falling over his face.

"Shima…" He murmured almost silently, "Yukio… still hasn't come back yet… I even called him but he didn't pick up at all…!" The boy's hands were still on his shirt; they had slid down a little and were now grasping lightly to the front of his shirt. Rin's fingers were quivering and Renzou swallowed, feeling something akin to twisting pain throb within his gut and chest. There was no way he could leave him looking like that… The boy with pink hair immediately pulled Rin close to him, wrapping one arm around his waist tightly and the other to his head. He felt the boy flinch in surprise but he wove his fingers through the dark blue hair, hoping that his touches would be somewhat soothing.

"Okumura-kun. You don't have to worry about him. He's perfectly fine." Renzou spoke in a soft and calm tone. Rin's muscles were still tense. But at least the trembling had gone away.

"H-How can you say that…?" He mumbled into the pink-haired boy's shoulder, "How do you know for sure?"

"Well…" Renzou paused for a moment to think. Then, a brilliant idea hit him. He smiled and then pulled Rin away to arm's length, "Okumura-kun, did you know that in most Test-of-Courage games… there are people who are purposely assigned to scare others~?" He beamed down at the boy. Rin blinked for a second, confusion apparent on his face. Then, his eyes widened in realization and a wobbly smile drew across his lips.

"O-Oh…? Is that s-so…" His smile turned to one of deep relief and exhaustion. The pink-haired boy grinned. Thank goodness~ It looked like he would be okay now. Renzou was startled when Rin leaned forward—this time on his own accord—to press his forehead against his shoulder again, "… thanks, Shima."

He felt his skin tingle and grow warm. "N-No problem…"

_Oh my god, I am so happy right now…! Go me…! Nice one there!_

He noticed several pairs of eyes on him and he looked up from Rin warily. Ryuuji was staring straight at him with narrowed eyes and arms crossed over his chest. But otherwise, he wasn't really moving to break them apart. Strange… wouldn't he usually jump in between them and then try to strangle him (like what had happened at the baths the other day)…? Shiemi and Konekomaru were staring at them with fidgety fingers and flighty eyes but also with significantly redder faces. Izumo, however, had the strangest and most uncharacteristic look on her face out of all of them: her eyes were fixed unblinkingly on them, eyelids drawn half-closed in a way that suggested she saw something they didn't. It was unnerving… and weirdest of all, she had the smile of a cat. A cat that had just caught its canary.

_Uhh…_ Renzou felt his body blush inexplicably under her gaze and he patted Rin's back awkwardly. _Why is she looking at us like that…?_

A creaking sound to his right caught his attention. He nearly yelped when he saw Yukio appearing from underneath the staircase with a calm but nevertheless intensely threatening smile across his face.

"Hmm, I see. So Shima-kun violated the rules…"

"W-Wha—? I didn't!" Renzou exclaimed and waved his arms about wildly. No way…! He didn't say anything specific about the test they just took! He'd only explained something that all Test-of-Courages had… that guy was gonna give him remedial lessons just for that…? Then again, seeing as how much Yukio disliked him… the professor was probably going to pick on him for every little thing.

_G-Great… dammit, I have no other choice but to do it, huh… he'll never let me off…_

Hearing the young professor's voice, Rin immediately broke away from Renzou, spinning to glare at his brother accusingly.

"There you are, four-eyes! Damn it, you could've just told me that you were going to go scare Suguro and Konekomaru! Why'd you lead me on to think something's happened to all of you guys?"

"Aa, yes," Yukio nodded in a matter-of-fact manner, "Well, it would defeat the purpose of this event if you weren't scared, wouldn't it?" He added a kind smile to the end, which somehow pissed Renzou off to no end.

_You're right… but at the same time you're kinda off with the type of 'scariness' you were supposed to have…_ The pink-haired boy thought to himself bitterly, turning from Yukio to Rin, watching for the blue-haired boy's reaction. Rin was staring silently at his brother, looking as though he were contemplating the other boy's words. Then, the boy frowned and whipped his head away coldly.

"Hmph, I see…"

Renzou sent Rin's back a two thumbs-up. _Alright~ Just like that, Okumura-kun! Be angry at him, keh heh heh heh… he deserves it!_

At the annoyed look he received from his professor (which spelled certain doom for him), Renzou hastily withdrew his hands and laughed nervously. Yukio pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and turned to address the rest of the group.

"Anyway… due to Shima-kun's interference, there will be a change of plans regarding the test for Okumura-kun and Moriyama-san."

As soon as she was called, Shiemi stood up straighter, "Ah! Y-Yes!" Rin was sulking off to the side, a few inches away from Renzou and pouting slightly. But he still turned his ear towards the green-eyed professor.

"As the previous groups all know, I have been giving out tasks during the test. However, this time I will not be doin so."

A chorus of confused noises chimed from the students. Yukio smiled, "Yes. Therefore, someone amongst the previous groups will be assigned to do it instead."

What? Wait! Then that meant that he could get the chance to scare Rin and Shiemi during their test…? Renzou grinned to himself, all sorts of ideas coming into his mind already. Awesome~ He could show Rin what a real Test-of-Courage was like… not some bullshit like this…!

_And then maybe… I can grab him from behind or something~? Ahahaha~ Ohh! Then I'll pull him into the shadows to scare Moriyama-san! When he protests, I'll suck on his ear until he's all mush in my arms… and then pin him to the wall! Then… then…!_ His thoughts drifted off and into the gutter as Yukio ushered Rin and Shiemi towards the left hallway.

"Please enjoy the test while we decide on who will be in charge of scaring you." He waved at them and watched the pair leave through the doors with alert eyes. Once the doors had closed—and Yukio had waited in silence for several more seconds—he finally turned to the group and began softly mumbling, "Right, let's get down to business then. What I said just now was a lie."

"Huh…?"

Ryuuji had to smack Renzou so that he was paying attention again. The pink-haired boy blinked in surprise as he caught onto Yukio's last sentence. _W-What? A lie?_

"There will be no third task or person going in to scare Okumura-kun and Moriyama-san. Instead, we'll surprise them altogether in the lobby. Shura-san, Takara-kun, and I included. They will be expecting just one person to be scaring them while they are inside the hallway… therefore, it would be most suspenseful to scare them while they are returning to the lobby, still feeling unsure about their safety."

Ryuuji nodded, "I see… but how're we gonna pull that off with all of us? It's not gonna be that scary if we all just jump out or somethin'. That'd be kinda like a joke…"

"Precisely," The green-eyed professor nodded in agreement, "Which is why we will—"A vibrating sound churned from within Yukio's pocket and he paused to lift out his mobile phone. After glimpsing over the name, he looked up at his students and smiled, "Please excuse me, I'll be back soon. Suguro-kun, you will be in charge for now."

"H-Hah…?"

"I have faith in your abilities." Then he pressed the phone to his ear and answered with, "Shura-san, how is it on your side now?" while moving towards the shadows of the staircase. They watched him climb the steps and then vanish up into the wings of the second floor with a small flashlight in his hands.

"Okay… great." Ryuuji sighed deeply, pressing his fingers to his temples. Izumo folded her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well? Any ideas?"

Konekomaru scratched his cheek with a finger nervously, "But what would scare Okumura-kun…?" No one seemed to know an answer to his question. Renzou rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Well… even if we don't scare Okumura-kun, we can at least scare Moriyama-san, right? She seems more easily scared so…"

After a moment, Ryuuji nodded in agreement, "Aa, and I think I have a plan."

_The corridors were dark save for the thin shimmering beam of their flashlight. Shiemi's eyes darted from wall to wall and she leaned closer to Rin, who was holding the light in one hand, marching steadily back towards the entrance._

"_Rin, isn't it kind of strange? The person Yuki-chan assigned to scare us hasn't appeared yet…"_

"_Yeah…" The blue-eyed boy frowned, "It is kinda weird… but the hint told us to go back to the lobby so…"_

_They were already approaching the doors—they could see its outline a few meters away—and there was still no sign of the last person. Suddenly, Rin felt something catch onto his foot from behind and he yelped, stumbling forward._

"_Rin?"_

_The flashlight went tumbling from the boy's hands and someone dressed in a black coat darted across the floor, grabbing the light and switching it off. They were thrown into complete darkness. Rin groaned and began to get back up. But someone's hands were still on him, keeping a steel grip on his ankle._

"_R-Rin! Where are you…?" Shiemi cried anxiously, dropping down to the floor and feeling across it carefully with her hands, "I can't see anything…!"_

"_Ugh…" The boy answered and shook his leg testily. The hand was steadfast. "Someone's got my foot. Hey, if it's one of you guys can you let go now…?"_

_But before he could listen for an answer, Shiemi screamed. The girl felt something heavy being thrown over her head and quickly attempted to pull it off. It felt like a coat…? But she couldn't get it off because something was holding the sides down._

"_Shiemi?" Rin exclaimed then shivered as something cold and wet touched his face. "Uwah! W-What the hell—?" The boy pulled back and then grabbed onto the hand that was on his ankle. He yanked forward on the person and suddenly, lights went shining on all at once around them, blinding Rin. When he finally regained his sight, the boy blinked when there was no one there anymore. Shiemi lifted off the coat and gasped for air._

"_W-What just happened…?"_

_Rin laughed uncertainly, "I think… we just got scared by the last person… but… it seemed like there was more than one person…?"_

"_Exactly." The wall panels opened to reveal his classmates and teachers all hiding out in the secret passageways. "Was it fun?"_

_The blue-eyed boy froze for a moment. Then, a soft smile lit up his lips and he chuckled. "Yep~ Thanks everyone…!"_

Ryuuji finished with his story, one index finger still held up from the recitation, "So? What do you guys think?" He had a confident smirk on his face, likely thinking that it was an excellent plan. Konekomaru smiled.

"Actually that sounds pretty good, Bon! We won't need many props; just our flashlights, one of the sponges from the kitchen with some water, and maybe we can ask for Okumura-sensei's coat."

Renzou grinned, quite liking the idea, "So who gets to do which part~? Can I do the—"

"You're not doing any of the parts that have to do with touching either Okumura or Moriyama." Ryuuji pointedly stared at him. The pink-haired boy pouted.

"Whaa—? Why not…?" His protest was met with half-lidded stares and a knowing glare. The boy raised his hands up in defense, beads of sweat running down his head. "O-Okay… I get it… I know I'm the pervert but geez…I swear I won't touch them inappropriately…!"

Ryuuji scowled at him, "Shima, you're in charge of gettin' the light when Okumura drops it. Got it?"

"Ehh?" Renzou gaped at his friend. Then he sighed, head dropping to his chest, "Oh fine…" They had so little trust in him when it came to these things… then again, it was probably right of them to do so. Good for them. Not so good for him however.

_I wanted to grab Okumura-kun's leg…_ He pouted. _And then… _A perverse grin made its way over his lips, immediately knocking off the previous pout,_ …I can sneak my hand up higher and higher, slowly so that it makes him gasp and then moan from the feeling~ Eheh~ Oh god, I want to hear that…!_

"You always make the most disgusting faces…" Ryuuji grunted at him, eyes narrowed accusingly. Renzou sent his friend a sheepish chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. Then, he caught a sly and amused smirk coming from Izumo's direction. His laughter caught in his throat and he turned away, feeling a bit nervous all of a sudden.

_U-Uhhh…?_ What was with her all of a sudden? Ever since she learned that he liked Rin, she had been giving him those oddly pleased looks. What? Did she find it amusing to see him liking a guy or something…? Or was it something else? Well… it couldn't really be anything else besides that, right? After all, the looks only started after she found out… _Hmm… maybe I'll ask Izumo-chan about it later on…_

"Wait, Bon…" Konekomaru interrupted as a thought hit him, "What if Okumura-kun doesn't drop the flashlight?"

Ryuuji paused to consider the problem. Then he abruptly turned towards Renzou, speaking in almost monotone, "Okay, change of plans. Shima, you're in charge of turning on the flashlights in Okumura's face."

"What the—?"

A light from the second floor came shining from around one of the corners and the students looked up simultaneously, finding their green-eyed professor returning from wherever he had gone. The boy came down the steps quickly and smiled at them.

"How are things?"

"We've got a plan." Ryuuji smirked back. Yukio nodded.

"Good, both Shura-san and Takara will be coming back here soon as well. Will you tell me what you have in mind so far?"

"Right." The boy with blonde-streaked hair began explaining the scenario and Yukio nodded along to his words. When he finished, he jabbed a thumb towards his classmates, "I was thinkin' that Shima'll be in charge of lights. We have around five or six lights together, since I imagine both Kirigakure-sensei and Takara both have lights to get around in the walls. We can have two other people with Shima. Either Kirigakure-sensei or Kamiki will be in charge of scarin' Shiemi while me and Konekomaru can handle scarin' Okumura."

"Hmm," Yukio nodded, eyebrows furrowing together, "I agree that Shima-kun will be taking care of the lights but… don't you think you would be good at doing that as well?"

"…"

"…"

The two were staring at each other in a sudden lock-down of wills. The electric feeling zapping between them could almost be felt against the skin of their bystanders.

A bead of sweat ran down Renzou's head.

"Uhh… y'know," He laughed awkwardly, "… if it's gonna be like this, the three of us should do the lights then… aha… ha ha…" But as he finished, they both immediately whipped their faces towards him, eyes full with their fiercest glares. He cried miserably, "N-No fair… you two always gang up on me… I don't get it, shouldn't you be kind of on my side, Bon…?"

"Pfft—!" They heard the only female amongst them laugh all of a sudden and they turned towards Izumo, whose cheeks had grown pink while she attempted to stifle her giggles, "I-I can't believe this… you all…? Don't tell me all three of you like _that guy_…? Ahah hah! I get it now! No wonder sensei said all that stuff during dinner last night…!"

The three boys turned red in the face. Then both Ryuuji and Yukio exchanged looks with Renzou, occasionally glancing towards the purple-haired girl in confusion.

"W-What…? H-How does she…?" Ryuuji stuttered, eyes round in surprise. Yukio's glasses had gone askew.

"K-Kamiki-san… y-you're mistaken…!"

Renzou watched the two boys grow flustered under the girl's gaze and couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "Aha ha! Oh man, if you guys saw the looks on your faces right now…!"

"S-Shut up! How're you not bothered by this?" Ryuuji seethed through his teeth, thoroughly embarrassed. Izumo's laughter had died down and she was now studying the three boys with a scrutinizing eye. She put a hand to her hip and smirked.

Renzou gulped, noticing that the strange look was in her eyes again.

"Hmm… I guess you'd all make pretty moe pairings with him… they're all quite cute, I can't really choose which I like more."

_What is she talkin' about…?_

Her eyes landed on him and her smirk grew wider. Then they darted towards Yukio and Ryuuji before returning to him again.

"Hmm…" She voiced in interest. But before she could say anything more, the sound of footsteps met their ears, immediately drawing their collective attention to the staircase. A light from under the staircase lit up, revealing Shura and Takara waiting. They were slightly out of breath, likely from running as fast as they could back to the main lobby, but Shura wasted no time in catching her breath. A devious smile was on her lips and she motioned for the group to join her. Yukio adjusted his glasses and hastily pulled on his usual pokerfaced expression again.

"Looks like everything is ready. Let's go."

They scurried across the floor towards the secret passageways and then hopped inside the hidden door, gathering together in the narrow space to finish discussing the plan.

"So what're we doin' to scare 'em? Spill it~" Shura cackled eagerly. Ryuuji explained his idea for a third time and the woman nodded once he finished. "Alright, I'll take care of pinnin' Shiemi down. Should be fun, nyahaha~ Although it'd be more fun if we could pin Rin down… wouldn't it, **boys**~?" Konekomaru palmed his face and sighed as the teasing of his friends and professor began again.

Izumo snorted. Shura paused and shifted her eyes towards the girl. Then, a sly grin spread across her face. "Ohh~ You found out, too, did ya? Heh, pretty cute, ain't they?" A similar smirk drew across the purple-haired girl's lips.

"They certainly are… a bit cute, I'll admit."

"W-Will you stop callin' us cute already…?" Ryuuji spluttered, shoulders shaking violently with his fists clenched at his sides. His entire face was a dark shade of red. Yukio was also blushing brightly. But he remained dead silent, eyes fixed to the floor in a shy manner. Renzou, on the other hand, found himself laughing in a carefree fashion. Oh man, who knew it was this fun for girls to find out about them…? He was totally getting a kick out of those two making Ryuuji and Yukio so embarrassed.

Perhaps he should also be just as flustered as the other two but… somehow, rather than being flustered he felt more relieved and happy. Because really—and he hadn't really dwelled on it before but—the fact that he liked another male was always a bit strange to him in the back of his mind. He used to like girls so much but now… to realize that he actually liked Rin instead…! It was both blissful and slightly frightening. When Izumo had learned the truth, he imagined he would receive disgusted looks for having such romantic feelings towards Rin. But instead, he had been given nothing but encouragement and playful teasing. It was… pretty nice to find that even outside of Yukio, Ryuuji, and Konekomaru, other people found it okay for them to love and want to make love to another male… it definitely made him feel better about liking Rin; like he could _really_ put his insecurities (although they had been small due to his carefree nature) to rest, now that more people knew and accepted his feelings.

Konekomaru raised a hand and laughed hesitantly, "A-Anyway, we haven't decided who will be scaring Okumura-kun yet…"

"Oh yeah," Shura leaned against one of the walls, glancing over the group lazily before pointing from person to person, "Alright, let's do it like this: I get Shiemi, Izumo gets the light in Rin's hands, Konekomaru, you can get Rin's foot, and you three lover boys'll take care of the lights near the end. Takara, you can signal to us when they come. Questions?"

She received noises of agreement—some reluctant and some nervous—but for the most part they had all agreed. Konekomaru piped up again.

"Oh! But… how are we going to see in the dark…?"

Ryuuji collected himself and leaned forward, "I had an idea for that. Turn off all the lights." The group did as they were told and Renzou found himself blinking at the painful darkness that was suddenly exploding into his eyes. He could hear Ryuuji's voice mutter, "Eventually, we'll get more adjusted to the dark. At least more so than Okumura and Moriyama. Takara'll be signallin', right? So he can make some sort of noise to us while we keep our eyes shut when we're inside here, waitin'. Then when the lights all go off, we'll be able to at least see where they are in the corridor, right?"

"Good plan. Let's do that." Renzou heard Shura say and he could hear the smirk that was on her face, "Takara, what'll the signal be?"

There was a sudden squeak, like that of a mouse peeping out of its home, and Renzou chuckled. _Okay, done._ He felt his heart begin to pump excitedly in his chest. _This is gettin' kinda fun~_

"Alright, let's keep our eyes closed except for Takara-kun." Yukio murmured softly. The pink-haired boy nodded and then shut his eyes, relaxing back against the dusty walls. A few aching minutes of silence passed where they waited with bated breaths for the pair to come.

_Could be any moment now… _Renzou's grip around his flashlight tightened. _Any moment…!_

Then, unexpectedly, they could hear someone's faint calls coming from down the hall. '_Ooh! It's them!'_ was the first thought that entered the pink-haired boy's mind. But as he began to hear and understand what was being cried out in desperate tones, an odd plummeting feeling began sinking down into the pit of his stomach.

"—ki-chan…! Yuki-chan…! Yuki-chan…! W-Where…? Haah… hahh! Yuki-chan…!"

It was Shiemi. She seemed to be shouting with all her might, calling for the green-eyed professor. There was a moment where time seemed to completely freeze. And then the anxious scramble to get the wall open began. Renzou hurriedly flicked on his light, leaping out behind Konekomaru and Shura, who were closest to the corridor.

"Shiemi-san…!" Yukio rushed towards her with everyone else following shortly behind. Her eyes, which were watery from holding back tears, seemed to light up immediately with hope.

"Yuki-chan! I… hah! I…! Finally found you! Rin is…! Haah…! Rin is…!" But before she could get out another word, she tripped over, falling face forward onto the ground. The girl was gasping for air, eyes clenched shut in pain. Renzou's eyebrows furrowed together with worry, noting that the girl's bangs were stuck to her forehead from all the sweat she had shed from running. Even her shoes had gone missing, likely from having tripped over them too many times, and so she had abandoned them. Yukio kneeled down immediately and had his hands around her as support.

"Shiemi-san! Hang in there…!" The girl swallowed a deep breath of air, fighting to get words out as fast as possible. But she only choked on accidentally breathing in a bit of spittle and began coughing again.

Renzou gnawed on his bottom lip. All of this didn't sit well in his stomach at all… What was going on? Why wasn't Rin with her? He should've been running towards them first or at least running behind her seconds after… Renzou's eyes fixed themselves on the dark corridor, searching for any sign of the boy's presence. But he didn't appear from the shadows at all. It was empty.

"W-What happened…? Why isn't Okumura-kun with you…?" Renzou heard himself stutter out in a tone that was almost foreign to him. What was this feeling of dread? Nothing bad could've happened to Rin, right? He was so strong and… and he had those flames. He was friggin' Satan's son! Maybe… maybe he had just tripped and knocked himself out or something, right? And Shiemi was just making a huge fuss about it because she was afraid that he had died since he wasn't moving or waking up. Yeah… it had to be that, right? It _had_ to be…

"Rin, he…!" Shiemi began to regain her voice and she gripped onto Yukio's jacket with a trembling hand, tears starting to fall from her eyes, "He disappeared, Yuki-chan! I—!" She gulped in another breath and continued on, "Turned away for just a second and then… haah…! He yelled out and…! Haah! There was a thud and the light and—I turned back and… he was gone…!"

_What…?_ Renzou's eyes grew wide in alarm. Gone? How could he be… _**gone**_?

"Y-Yuki-chan…" She cried in anguish, pulling herself up with determination, "H-Help me… I can't find him anywhere…!"

Yukio's eyes were also wide, irises pooling with unspeakable fear. Then, they narrowed. "I understand. Shiemi-san, wait here. I'll have everyone go around the mansion to look for him. This… could be the work of a demon."

There was an intake of breath from everyone. Then, after a moment, Ryuuji growled out in a low voice, "Let's work fast." With a quick nod, the group immediately dispersed, rushing off in different directions and calling out each area they would be investigating so that no area would be left unchecked. Shiemi grit her teeth and tried pushing herself up onto her trembling legs.

"W-Wait! Let me help, too…! P-Please…!"

Shura paused and turned to laugh at the girl, "Oi, oi. Yer in no position to move around right now. Just stay here."

"B-But…! How can I just—? Rin is…!" The blonde screamed back, tears full with defiance trailing down her cheeks. The flame-haired woman grinned and turned back towards the doors leading into the main lobby.

"We also need someone right here to keep callin' fer Rin, ya know? That way if he's lost, he'll at least be able to use his ears and find a place he can come back to. So just sit there and wait fer him. He'll be back." Shura chortled, "After all, he's too much of an idiot to make his way back by himself, nyahaha~ But if he's got a point where he can go towards, there's nothin' that'll stand in his way to reach there. In fact, he'll probably get here even faster if he hears ya." She flashed the girl a small smile and then rushed off to look for the missing boy.

A few seconds later, she could hear the powerful shouts of, "Riiiiin…! Riiiiiiin…!" echoing over and over again through the corridors, reaching desperately through the walls. Shura smirked and began picking up her pace, eyes darting from corner to corner, scouring the place carefully.

.:.


	11. Chapter 11

.:.

Renzou wanted to be one of the first to leave the group. His heart was beating heavily in his chest. The muscle felt so heavy against his lungs, pulsing incredibly hard through his ribs. It felt almost swollen.

However, he had not been the first. Yukio, after setting Shiemi down, had immediately rushed down the hallway the girl had come from. When the pink-haired boy saw him rush into the corridor with a flashlight ready, he was left at a loss with what to do. He wanted to follow as well. To check if maybe Shiemi had been mistaken and perhaps Rin was just stuck somewhere and couldn't get out. But Yukio was already taking care of that area… he had to pick somewhere else.

"I'll take the second floor. Konekomaru and I were there for our test so we know the place better than the rest of ya." Ryuuji had said curtly, almost split seconds after Yukio had disappeared. Then, the boy turned and left without another word. Konekomaru gulped and shot up straight.

"I-I'll help Bon with the second floor…!" He also sprinted away. Renzou clenched his teeth together.

_D-Damn it! How are they so decisive…? How are they so fast to react…? I… I also feel __**this**__ worried for him… I'm __**this**__ worried and yet…! _He clenched his eyes together, bitterness welling in his throat. _I-I don't know what to do…! I just… don't know! What can I…? _He could feel his fists shaking by his sides.

Then his eyes snapped open.

_But I've gotta do __**somethin'**__!_

"I'll take the right hallway then." He called out briefly and then spun on his heel, hurtling straight for the doors. As he ran, he didn't feel anything besides the wind against his face as he split across the air. Not the aching in his head. Not the strain his legs were beginning to work up. Not the pounding of his heart. He wanted to go faster. But his eyes and body could only go so fast…

His mind thought of nothing but Rin, imagining the blue-eyed boy just feeling around in the darkness and being confused about his whereabouts. He could see it. Rin was just walking around and squinting into the darkness, calling out, "Shiemi…? What the, where'd she go…"

There was no way he had been caught by some demon as Yukio said. The reason why he hadn't shown up yet was definitely not because some demon had heavily mutilated him or impeded him or _anything_ like that… And besides, Rin would fight back if something like that happened. At any cost. And he'd be back, smiling by their sides in just a few minutes. They just had to find him again.

He heard someone's pattering steps beside his and then finally noticed that Izumo had followed him, running beside him with her short eyebrows creased together. She glanced at him, eyes gleaming in the dim light of the flashlight he held, and then nodded.

"We'll find him."

"Y-Yeah…" He muttered and smiled back uneasily. His eyes darted back to the area they could see in the faded glow of their flashlight and he spoke again, this time in a whisper, "Yeah…"

She sent him a soft smile back, regarding him curiously for a second. Then she quickly turned back to search the premises for their blue-haired classmate. The lights suddenly went on as they reached the door leading into the right hallway. They both slowed, scrunching their eyes together from the piercing burst of white into their minds.

"Ugh…" Renzou groaned and shook his head, as if that would help speed up the adjustment process. He blinked rapidly and with eyes cracked a sliver open, reached forward to push the doors to the right corridor open. Likewise, the hallway was now lit up brightly from all corners. The boy with pink hair managed to chuckle, "Well, that should make things much faster…" And then they were off again.

"Okumura-kun…?" He tried yelling out occasionally as he sprinted down the straight pathway. At every door they passed, they went inside to look, Izumo taking the right side of the hall while he took the left. Minutes passed of this endless searching: him slamming doors open and running in to scan through everything, calling for Rin until his throat went hoarse and dry. The boy with pink hair finally reached the end of the hallway and he saw Izumo collapsed against one of the walls, panting heavily and sweating all the way down to her thighs. He had his hands on his knees, also taking in deep gulps of air like a fish which had been thrown out from water. He could feel his own shirt soaked through and sticking to his back. A bead of sweat dripped from his chin, followed by more droplets from his nose and forehead, all hitting the ornate tiles of the floor silently. His mind was spinning, vision swirling as he kept going over all the places he had seen from his memory, looking through them again and again in a meticulous and nearly obsessed way. They were all empty. Devoid of any movement aside from his own.

Rin wasn't here…

_No…!_

"Tch!" He grit his teeth together, hands clenching into fists on his knees. Then, he began running back the way they came from, shouting a quick, "I'll take the left side again. Let's check each other's sides." He didn't wait for the girl's answer, only thought about seeing Rin's grinning face again. The boy felt his eyes tingle. His vision was becoming an annoying blur and he let out a choked sound, quickly rubbing away the tears that were getting in the way of his search. The boy set his gaze back on the hallway, eyes growing steel-like.

_D-Damnit, Okumura-kun… if you don't show up soon, I'm gonna go crazy…_

.:.

There was no luck. They had looked everywhere and everyone had no doubt searched their areas over a second time, if not a third or even fourth time.

"R-Riiiin…!" Shiemi was still screaming the boy's name out. She sucked in a loud sniffle and continued relentlessly, "Riiii—" She coughed and swallowed the tears tumbling down her cheeks, "iin…! Rin…hgh, Riihiiiinnn…!" The sound did nothing to help the chilling feeling gripping at Renzou's entire body. Because every time she called, there was never any answer back.

They were all gathered around the girl in the red corridor, all breathless and sweating pools into the floor. Ryuuji had his eyes clenched tightly together, head pressed into the wall he was lying against in such a way that it seemed a miracle the wall or his head hadn't dented in yet. The boy's legs had given way and he was lying uselessly like a ragdoll on the floor.

"Damnit…!" He gasped out in between heavy breaths, "Where's… that fuckin' moron…!"

Renzou was leaning on the wall opposite of the boy with blonde-streaked hair, panting equally as hard. His eyes were barely open, blurring as he watched his friend's almost death-like posture. No one had seen anything of Rin at all…? No one…?

Yukio was the only one still standing upright. His head was lowered and his shoulders were heaving up and down. Anyone could tell that his legs were already at their limit, struggling to hold him up, and his jacket had long been shed, thrown against some wall in the corridors.

"I'll…" He panted, "I'll… go again." He murmured and then turned back towards the corridor. But Shura poked the back of one knee with a finger and the boy collapsed.

"I~diot." She sighed and sent the boy an unimpressed stare as he attempted to crawl forward and climb back onto his feet, "Look, we've searched everywhere. He ain't here."

"He is…" Yukio mumbled, irritation thick in his voice. Shura rolled her eyes.

"He ain't! If he was, we'd have found him."

"He **IS**…!" The green-eyed boy snarled back, causing Renzou to jump in surprise by how incredibly fierce he had sounded. The pink-haired boy managed to laugh coldly.

_Hah. He's going just as crazy about this as I am, isn't he._

"Well, if he isn't here, where is he?" Renzou spat out venomously at the woman, suddenly feeling something he had never felt before in his life: a biting sense of hatred. How could she look so calm? What was _wrong _with her?

The flame-haired woman crossed her arms over her chest and sent him an amused smirk. "That's a nice look yer have there, kid~ Ya finally look sorta motivated." He frowned back, trying to crush down the feeling of fury that was steadily boiling up from the center of his stomach.

Yukio's pocket suddenly vibrated.

They froze, eyes all round and staring at each other. Then, their gazes shot towards the professor. His hands were fumbling to get his phone from his pocket and Renzou saw the boy's green eyes light up with relief. There was the _peep!_ of sound when they saw his finger hit one of the buttons and then he answered shakily, "B-Brother…?"

"_Oi, Yukio. I think I'm lost…"_ Rin's simple voice chimed out from the deafening silence surrounding them all. There was a mad scramble in which everyone dragged themselves across the ground at lightning pace to get a better listen to the boy's voice. Yukio's hand was shaking as Rin continued, _"I'm not sure what happened…"_

Renzou felt as though it had been decades since he had last heard the boy's sweet voice. _Okumura-kun… I can hear you again…!_ He held back a sniffle, feeling his eyes prickle. Oh man, it'd be totally stupid to cry now…

"… _something suddenly pulled me backward and I kinda got knocked out. When I woke up, I found myself lying in the hallway. Didn't know how long I'd been out but all the lights are on now? It wasn't any of you guys, right? You're not pulling another one of those scare things on me again, are you? Because if you are… you're doing a pretty good job at it…"_

The group exchanged wary looks with each other. Something had pulled him backward and knocked him out…? And wait, what? He was lying in a hallway…? But no one had seen him at all…

"No… we aren't…" Yukio answered back slowly, unsure of what to make of the strange situation. Rin was obviously alive somewhere in the mansion… but there was no sign of him either?

"_Oh, whew."_ They could hear the blue-eyed boy sigh and then say with a grin into the speaker, _"Okay good, so I probably just fell backward and hit my head on something, huh… ha ha… Uh, so… you guys should be somewhere I haven't checked yet, right? I've been looking all over—even the second floor and everything… but I haven't seen you guys at all?"_

Shiemi gulped and then shouted into the phone, unable to hold herself back, "Rin! Where are you now?"

They heard a yelp from the other side and Renzou chuckled as the boy's surprised voice came through the phone, _"S-Shiemi? Oh… so you're with Yukio! Good… I was worried you were by yourself somewhere… I'm glad you're safe."_

Renzou's fingernails bit into the skin of his palm.

_Yeah, but where are __**you**__?_

Yukio's hold on the phone had stilled and his eyes were narrowed together in annoyance, "Brother, where the hell are you now?"

"_H-Huh? Yukio, why do you sound so pissed…?"_

"Because you—!" He began furiously. Then, the young professor abruptly cut himself off and, after a second, released a deep sigh, "Anyway, just hurry and tell us where you are already."

"_Uhh… I'm heading to our room now. I checked earlier but no one was there. Will you guys be there now…?"_

"Yes," The green-eyed boy slowly got up onto one shaky leg, lifting himself up again with renewed energy, "We'll be heading there now. Don't you _dare_ go anywhere else but there. Okay, Brother?"

"_Yukio? Yukio?"_

Huh…?

"_I—zzt!—can't—ear y—tsst!"_

"Brother?" Yukio's fingers tensed up as he pressed the phone tighter to his ear, "Brother?"

"_Yuki—zzzzzt!—Yu—?"_ The sound of the boy's voice was being marked and pocked by odd sounds, as if something were screwing with the signal. And then, suddenly, there was the clear sound of a crash exploding from the other side of the receiver. Along with Rin's unmistakable cry of pain.

_Okumura-kun…?_ Renzou felt the blood drain from his face. _Okumura-kun?_

What the hell was going on…? There certainly hadn't been the sound of crashing coming from anywhere besides from within the phone… Where the _**hell**_ was Rin…?

The signal was cut off immediately afterward and the blank tone of the phone seemed to roar across the hall, echoing ominously.

"B-Brother…!" Yukio cried and then shot to his feet all of a sudden, turning to race down the corridor. Renzou launched from his legs as well, chasing after the boy knowing full well where he was going.

_Gotta get to the room…!_

Even though it was strange that they hadn't heard the same crash coming from Rin's side… there wasn't any other option but to go to the place they had agreed to meet in…!

_To the room…!_

He could see Yukio fervently phoning back as he ran. But when the boy cursed and nearly flung the phone against a wall, he knew that there was no luck. Within no time, the sweaty and panting group of people had reached the two angel statues, which were both still stoically guarding the front of the door.

"He… he should be around here…" Yukio muttered and then signaled for them to search. Shura sighed and smacked a hand onto his shoulder.

"Hey. Stop. You're completely breakin' down here, four-eyes." She tapped her head and leaned towards him with a serious look in her gaze, "_Think_ about it. He's not here. A demon must've taken him to a copy of this place…"

"What…?" Were the surprised responses she received in return. The woman shrugged.

"That's the only explanation I can think of. How else is he in the same exact place we are yet things're happenin' there that aren't happenin' here? He's gotta be trapped in a different dimension, maybe a modified demon side of our world. Question is… what's the motives of this demon? Why'd it only take Rin? Could it be connected to Satan?"

Yukio clenched his hands into fists and then turned his head away, "Damnit…"

Renzou gulped, fear ebbing back and forth in his mind, seeping into his already escalated feelings of worry. Satan…? This could involve _Satan_…? Just what kind of demon _was_ this…?

_God, Okumura-kun… please be okay…!_

"But where the hell is this demon…?" Ryuuji shouted in frustration, "This is messed up. We searched everywhere just now… We got rid of them all today… where is it?"

Shura shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." A cold smile spread across her lips, "It's either a very strong one we've got on our sleeves or it's just really good at hidin'."

"Okumura-kun said he was pulled from behind, r-right?" Konekomaru suggested meekly, "Maybe there are demons in the walls that we couldn't find…?"

Shura shook her head, "Doubt it. Takara and I did a triple check on all the secret passageways. Even sprayed holy water everywhere this afternoon. If they were hidin' in there, we would've found them out by now."

"Then how're we supposed to find this demon and get it to bring back Okumura?" Ryuuji slammed a fist against the wall, the ringing sound echoing deeply down the red corridors. The sound slowly faded away into silence and Renzou felt his gaze fall to the ground, unable to come up with any other ideas.

_Damnit… I'm so stupid…! I can't think of one thing at all… Ugh! C'mon brain, this might be the one thing in your life that'll matter this much to you. Think, brain! Think!_

But before anyone could get out another word, the ringtone specifically assigned to Renzou's text messages interrupted his thoughts, singing out in vibrant tones. Could it be…? Rin? All eyes were on him now and the pink-haired boy wasted no time in fishing out his cellular phone, flicking it open to check his inbox.

_Shima? I hope you get this message…_

_I don't know what happened but something just threw me across the floor and broke some things in the hall… Tell Yukio that it's totally not my fault okay? I really have no idea! And actually, I'm starting to get the feeling that I might not be in the same place as you guys… not sure how to explain it but… anyway, I managed to make it into our room… the room keeps on shaking like something is trying to get in…_

_It's… really freaky… and I really hope you get this… because I can't seem to make any calls or send text messages to Yukio. Write back when you get this, okay…?_

Renzou felt his heart constrict. _Oh, Okumura-kun…_

"It's Okumura, right?" Ryuuji marched forward, eyes wide with both hope and fear. The pink-haired boy nodded and then opened up the page to send back a reply as fast as he could. As soon as he nodded, the group instantly crowded around him, wanting to get a look at the message.

"What did he say…?" Yukio murmured, for once not looking annoyed at the fact that Rin was being on such good terms with Renzou.

"He's made it to a safe place; it's our room. He says it keeps shaking like somethin's tryin' to get him… but it seems like the room's holdin' up for now. Now shut up, guys. I'm writing back…" He mumbled as he concentrated on formulating a message:

_Okumura-kun, I got your message! I'm really glad you're safe now...!_

_Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?_

_Just stay there, okay? We'll get you out once we find out where this demon is._

_We're thinking that you've been grabbed by a demon we missed while you were with Shiemi. But for some reason you're stuck in another demon dimension that it made and Shiemi managed to get away. Not sure what's really going on… but just in case, don't do anything rash… okay? Stay safe…! We'll get to the bottom of this in no time!_

He smacked the send button and watched impatiently as the 'Mail Sent' screen loaded up. He sighed as soon as the normal image popped up, relieved that he hadn't gotten a 'Mail Failure' sign instead. Yukio was thumbing through his phone with furrowed eyebrows.

"Why…? It's not working…?" He seethed in frustration, continuously pressing the send button and trying again and again to send a message to his brother. Shura pointed at her own phone.

"Try mine."

He nodded and attempted to call her. The woman's phone rang brilliantly. Yukio scowled.

"You're thinking this demon can block phone signals going into its dimension…?"

Shura smirked, "Yep. Seems like I'm right, too. But it must've slowly gotten used to picking up on your signal or somethin' if it can only block yours and not Shima's…"

The green-eyed professor frowned down at his phone, glasses shielding his eyes from view, "I've been using it too often in the mansion… maybe it honed in on my signal and learned how to block it."

"Seriously…?" Ryuuji shouted, "How can a demon do _that_?"

Shura chuckled, "Well… you guys haven't learned about it yet but… both demons and humans don't just remain the same, ya know?" From the confused looks across the students' faces, the woman grinned and continued, "It's that 'Evolutionary Arms Race' yer see in animals. When we come up with a new way to attack and defend against 'em, they're also coming up with new ways to evolve and attack back. Lately, there's been a few cases where new demons with abilities honed to possessing computers 'n such are showin' up. There was a really huge issue when we found it messin' with our databases."

"Aah…"

Renzou's phone rang again and the group whipped their heads back towards him. He gulped and hurriedly opened the new message.

_You answered…! It works…! (happily waving tail)_

_Thank god, I thought I'd be stuck here all by myself…_

_I'm not hurt, haha~ And what you said about the demon thing makes sense._

_I'll just stay put then, I guess…_

_But hurry up, okay? (shooting up angry tail)_

_Or I'll be forced to burn up this place!_

_I mean it! Gyahahaha~ (evil sneaky tail)_

_Anyway… the room stopped shaking now so I guess the demon kinda gave up? Haha… well, I'll be waiting!_

…

_I'm really glad I can still text you, Shima…_

_Can you write back to me again…?_

_I mean, how long are you guys gonna take?_

_At least entertain me while I'm waiting, right? (expectantly waving tail)_

Renzou's face grew pink. Even in such a situation, Rin could still be so obnoxiously and heart-warmingly cute…? At the strange looks he was receiving, he chuckled nervously and shook his head. "Aah, um… he's going to stay put in the room and wait for us to get him out. He's safe. And he's not hurt. It looks like he's feeling better now, too… even using emoticons…"

There was a burst of relief that came from their group. Renzou smiled and opened up a new page again, beginning to start up another message.

_Yep~ You can count on us, Okumura-kun!_

_Just sit there and look pretty, haha. (wink)_

_We'll be there in no time!_

_And don't worry, I'll text you as many times as you like. (grin grin)_

_Take care, yeah~? And write back soon. Like, tell me what you're doin' over there (besides texting me, that is~)? And what does it look like? You're in our bedroom right? So did the demon make copies of our stuff, too~? Haha, don't go rummaging through my stuff if the demon did. (sticks tongue out)_

He smiled at his writing and hastily sent it out. Right then, back to business…!

"Now that we know Okumura's not in trouble, let's think about how to get this demon to show itself, right?" Ryuuji grunted out, looking from person to person, "I have no idea about this 'new type' of demon but maybe we can think of somethin' if we put our minds together."

"Yeah…" Renzou lowered his head, eyes concentrated on the floor as he tried to think of any ideas. A new demon that could block phone signals and could hide pretty well from detection… what the hell? How were they supposed to lure this thing out if it wanted to keep hiding…? A few seconds of silence passed in which the exorcists just thought to themselves rapidly. Then, someone wet their lips to speak.

"Something has been bothering me for a while… this is a bit of a tangent from what we should be thinking about but…" Izumo's voice was slightly tinged with confusion as she spoke, "None of you find something about this corridor kind of… odd?"

_Odd…?_ Renzou glanced around at the red walls and frowned deeply. Nothing looked too weird to him… Shiemi sniffled and nodded.

"It does seem kind of strange… but I'm not sure what's off about it…"

Wait, didn't he think of this before?

Renzou lifted a finger and then pointed at the walls. "Oh! Right, I noticed it too while I was takin' the test with Izumo-chan… isn't it 'cause the walls are all red here?"

"Huh?" Ryuuji and Konekomaru blinked, unable to compare since they had not gone to see the other hallway yet. Yukio narrowed his eyes and lifted a hand to his chin thoughtfully. Shiemi gasped and nodded.

"Oh, you're right…! The color _does_ give a really different feeling from our hallway, doesn't it, Kamiki-san?"

"Hmm… it's true that our hallway is all blue and not red…" The purple-haired girl frowned and inspected the walls closely.

"Shit."

Renzou flinched when he heard Shura suddenly cut through the quiet. He turned towards her, feeling disoriented by her sudden uncharacteristic exclamation. The woman had a bead of sweat running down her cheek and she was grinning at the walls with narrowed eyes, "I can't believe I didn't figure it out sooner…" She quickly muttered her incantations and drew out her sword.

"W-What?" The pink-haired boy leapt back from her in shock. Why was she drawing her demon sword out? The click of pistols came from Yukio's direction and his attention instantly switched to the green-eyed professor. Yukio's eyes were now so devoid of mirth that Renzou could almost see black churning around his body.

"We're in it. This is probably…" He scowled and pointed his guns at the walls, "… the demon."

_Huh…?_

"It shouldn't be a strong demon, since it can't seem to materialize into a more mobile form but… don't let your guard down."

"N-No way…" The boy with pink hair nervously whipped out his staff, fitting all the pieces together and moving into the center of the hallway to point his weapon at the red-colored walls. He felt his back hit someone else's and he heard Ryuuji grunt from behind him. The boy was standing in a defensive stance, one hand wrapped tightly in prayer beads and raised up in front of him. Every one of the exorcists were glaring at the walls now, forming a tight circle so that their backs were facing each other. Renzou clenched his teeth together.

Dammit… this _thing_ had taken Rin somewhere. This **fucking** demon… What the hell… and Yukio said it was _weak_? If it were so weak then why was Rin still stuck inside whatever space this thing had created? And why hadn't they gotten him out yet? All because this cowardly thing wouldn't show itself, that's why. And every moment they were being delayed here like this, that demon was probably getting closer and closer to Rin…

_Dammit… there must be some way to make it show its true form…! _His eyes danced across the walls, searching for anything irregular to aim his staff at. Like video games, right? It must have some kind of weak point…! Wait, but technically… if the hall was red when it was probably supposed to be blue like the rest of the mansion… didn't that mean this entire wall was the demon right now? So… he could smack it? He could smack it, right?

_I have to try somethin'…!_

He charged forward without warning, letting out a guttural cry that split from the deepest reaches of his body. The yell seemed to blast away and shake at the fear that had been gripping tightly onto his heart; he could feel his veins pulsating and burning, as though a fierce fire were shooting up through his blood vessels. The end of his staff smashed into the sturdy red wall in front of him—he could hear shouts from Ryuuji and Konekomaru but they seemed so far away, even his own scream of, "Damn, demon…!" seemed not to be coming from him—and all he could think of was:

_Shit… haha… I've gone fuckin' insane, haven't I…?_

His eyes were glaring straight at the point he had made impact, noticing that the wall had somewhat bent in abnormally around the tip of his staff. It was almost like flesh being poked in by a needle. The boy with pink hair smirked. _I did it…! Now hurry up and show yourself already so we can beat the crap out of you!_

The wall seemed to suddenly push back on him but his eyes grew wide when he realized that rather than being pushed back, his staff was actually being sucked in. _Oh shit…_ He panicked and attempted to pull back, yanking on the bronze metal with all his might. It wouldn't budge. He gulped and after a pause of silence, he turned to laugh at his classmates and teachers.

"Umm… aha ha~ I think… it's stuck?"

Ryuuji scowled at him, clearly unamused. But not even a second afterward, his eyes snapped wide open, "OI, idiot! Behind you!"

"Huh?" Renzou turned just in time to see a long and hand-shaped appendage fly out from the wall towards him, grasping him by the neck so forcefully it bent him slightly backward over his feet. "Ughh—!" His hands reached up to claw into the red hand squeezing him by the throat. He could feel his body being lifted into the air, feet loosing the touch of solid ground against the pads of his toes. He choked and attempted to pull the fingers apart from his neck. But his actions only caused more hand-like appendages to shoot out from the walls and pull him in. "S-Shit…! Kgh—!" The pink-haired boy grimaced, feeling the air entering his lungs grow less and less. He vaguely heard numerous shots coming from Yukio's guns, blasting away at the hands, but his legs had already sunk deep into the wall, smaller red hands creeping up from his legs as though attempting to reel him in even faster. His heart was pumping erratically now, eyes round with fright from seeing his legs and lower body quickly merging in with the red wall.

_Holy shit… holy shit, m-my feet are __**gone**__! My friggin' legs are…! T-This is the end, isn't it…?_

Another red appendage burst from the wall, slamming into his face; it covered over his nose, mouth, and left eye in a bruising grip. He tried to scream but only a muffled groan came out. Through his only visible eye, he could see his body being sucked in deeper and deeper into the wall. The hands were wrapped all around him by now, layered over each other and grabbing onto the cocoon of him in a mass of slithering hands. He was being pulled in as though he were sinking into a blood-stained bog. It was up to his chest… now his neck. It didn't hurt or anything but… everything was just so _red_ and _suffocating_… He couldn't see anything but the angry and ferocious red burning into his eyes. Was this the last thing he'd see…? Renzou clenched his eye shut as the wall reached what would have been his nose. N-No…! He wanted to see…!

He wanted to see…

… _**blue**__._

_DAMN IT…!_

He mustered all of his remaining strength to try and break himself out.

_Damn it…!_

He gathered what was left of his breath to wrench his way out.

_D-Damn it…!_

He was immobile. He couldn't breathe anymore. It was all black.

And he couldn't…! He couldn't… He… c—

.:.


	12. Chapter 12

.:.

There was something calling for him. He could faintly hear it. What had happened? Was he… dead? But no, someone was now shaking his arm fervently. And they were still crying out his name...

"—ima…! Shimaa…! Wake up!"

Hnn? That voice…

Renzou groaned and cracked his eyes open a sliver, grimacing from the throbbing aches running all over his body. Shit, those bruises were gonna be a pain in the ass for a while, weren't they… And then the first thing he noticed—besides how 'Not Dead' he was at the moment—was the vibrant blue color bursting into his eyes. He gasped, feeling oddly soothed by it. _Ahh… what a pretty blue~ _He managed to lift a hand up slowly and reach for it in an experimental fashion, wanting to touch it. _It's like…_

"Shima! Y-You're awake!" And then he felt the air being crushed from his lungs as something thudded into his chest painfully.

"O-Oof—!" He groaned. Then, his heart leapt into his throat, recognizing the familiar situation, recognizing that familiar scent and style of speaking. And that blue color…! He slowly sat up, eyes landing on the head of dark blue hair buried against him. Could it be…? Was it… really…? "O-Okumura… kun?" His hands reached for the boy, shaking and slightly afraid that perhaps he really _had_ died and had been sent somewhere where he'd have to hallucinate about Rin for eternity. If he touched him, would he disappear…? "Okumura-kun… is that really you?"

The boy peered up at him curiously and then gripped his arms tighter around his waist, "W-What about Shima? Is it really Shima…?"

"Y-Yeah…" He licked his dry and cracked lips, heart pounding in his head, "Yeah, it's me, Okumura-kun." The blue-eyed boy stared at him with that beautiful gaze of his, carefully studying his face. He had sorely missed those eyes… And then he was gifted with a relieved smile.

"Eheh~ Good."

Renzou clenched his jaw together, eyes darting along the boy's face erratically. There were so many feelings welling up in his chest cavity all at once. There was excitement, a pinch of anxiety, a large amount of unexplained sorrow. But most of all, he felt an overwhelming sense of giddiness, bliss, and relief that sent every other emotion shooting off into the stars.

"Okumura-kun…!" He choked back a sob and then lunged forward, grabbing for any part of Rin that he could, to pull him into a tight embrace.

"Uwah?" He heard the other boy gasp in surprise, "Shima…?" Renzou smiled bitterly and buried his face into the boy's dark blue hair, giving him a small but nevertheless needy peck there, not even bothering to hide it like that last time he'd done so in front of the movie theater. He felt Rin's face grow warm and he worked his hands into the boy's back, moving up and down slowly, determined to feel every inch of him. He had to make sure that he was really right here in his arms, that this weight against him was **real**; it wasn't just him dreaming… His hands pressed into the contours of Rin's back and kept pulling him closer as if he could somehow stuff the boy into his heart. He would never disappear again.

The blue-eyed boy was blushing hard and stuttering, "S-S-Shima, w-what are you…?" as he inched away uncomfortably. But the boy with pink hair only pulled Rin in closer, taking as many whiffs of the boy as he could while moving his head down to nuzzle into the crook of his neck. His cracked lips briefly brushed across the smooth and sweet skin there and he felt Rin shiver from the sensation. Shortly afterward, the boy gulped heavily and he heard him whisper in a timid voice, "S-Shima… what the h-heck…? You're being… really really _really_ touchy-feely, y-you know…?" Renzou answered back with another tight squeeze. In the duration of their embrace, Rin's hands had somehow made their way to the back of his shirt and he could feel the warm hands resting there gently. After a few seconds—where they did nothing but stay still and breathe in each other—he heard Rin begin to murmur, "Were… you that worried about me…?" The voice was almost inaudible, drifting down from somewhere behind his ear.

"You have no idea." Renzou spoke, voice partially muffled by Rin's shoulder. He could feel the blue-eyed boy swallow. Then, he felt Rin's head lean against his comfortingly.

"S-Sorry…"

A smile spread across his lips after hearing the gentle apology and the angelic action. Then, he buried his face back into the boy's shoulder, mumbling a low, "Just don't do it again."

The boy laughed, sending soft vibrations through the pink-haired boy's chest, warming his heart. "I won't~ Ah, wait—!" He felt Rin pull his head away and then smack his back with one hand in indignation, "H-Hey! It's not like I _wanted_ this to happen…!" Renzou chuckled fondly and sighed with happiness. Then, he focused onto the boy's tempting neck, eyes roaming over the skin with a mischievous look. He was already feeling so happy (not to mention in a position which gave him so much access)… why not~?

And he _did_ tell Ryuuji that he wouldn't hold back anymore…

The pink-haired boy snuck in a kiss onto the blue-eyed boy's neck, nipping the flesh playfully with his lips. Immediately, the other boy yelped a flustered, "Hyaah!" in surprise. Rin turned bright pink and shoved Renzou's face away with one hand while hurriedly clamping his other hand over his neck, "A-A-And what do you keep on doing, Shima? A-Are you like this to _all_ of your friends…?"

Renzou laughed through the fingers splayed across his face, thoroughly enjoying Rin's reactions (that little yelp was just so _**cute**_~!), "Nope~"

"H-Huh?"

He grinned back widely and pulled away from the hand that was blocking him from a full view of the other boy. His hands moved up to catch the boy's wrist and he pulled it towards his mouth, tenderly placing another kiss into the palm of Rin's hand. The boy with pink hair smirked, "Just you, Okumura-kun~"

Rin's cheeks were tinged with red. He then laughed nervously, hand ripping away from the pink-haired boy and shooting back to his side. His fingers curled over the point that Renzou had kissed, other hand moving to clasp over the fisted one, and his blue eyes averted towards the walls, "O-Oh! Haha, I see! I-I'm… I'm that special, am I? Gyahahaha…! I-I know I can be kinda awesome sometimes but… n-no need to go so far… ha… ha ha…"

Renzou laughed. This guy was kind of digging his own grave if he thought he could escape from him by saying that…! He eagerly leaned forward, reaching one hand behind the blue-eyed boy's nape to pull him over; their foreheads were pressed against each other, noses nearly brushing. "Yep! You're _reeeaaally_ special~ So I'll only do these things to you and no one else, ha ha~" He snickered, satisfied by how close Rin's lips were to his and happy that at such a close distance, he could see just how wonderfully those blue irises twinkled in the light. They always looked so alive and full of fire… it was captivating and so very reassuring to look into, especially since he had been so shaken up by his disappearance only a while ago…

Rin's eyes were staring back into his, forced to look directly at him due to their proximity. The vibrant blue orbs were round, trembling in shock, and that was when Renzou finally felt his heart stiffen and come to a stop. Did he cross the line…? Oh damn… he should've held himself back a little more… after all, he didn't want to make the other boy too uncomfortable… or worse, scared of him… Rin was still frozen in place, eyes fearfully wide. The pink-haired boy sent him a soft smile and then gently pulled away.

"J-Just kidding…! Ahaha… sorry, I was just really happy so… uh… soooo…" What should he say? He had to somehow make it not so awkward for Rin… Oh right…! "Anyway… we're, erm… in the demon's dimension right now…?" He scratched his cheek with an index finger sheepishly. The blue-eyed boy blinked, as though snapping out from a stupor, and then he gulped once before nodding.

"O-Ohh… uh, y-yeah…" Rin's eyes were alternately darting from him to the floor, cheeks still a light pink. Renzou winced inwardly. _Oh man, now he's totally feeling uncomfortable, isn't he… w-what should I do? Gaah…!_

His red-brown eyes darted across the room anxiously and he lifted a hand up to rub the back of his head, "Oh… ha ha, sorry. I was supposed to help get you out but now I'm stuck here, too huh. Aha ha~ Aha ha ha…~"

Rin looked up and he could feel him staring carefully at him. Then, the boy let out a small laugh.

"Yeah! What the hell, Shima," He eyed him curiously, "What did you do anyway?"

Renzou paused in his movements and he smiled, glad that the boy was starting to act normal again, "Oh! Uh… I kinda… ran into a wall with my staff…? Aha~ And then it kinda… 'ate' me, I guess you can say…"

"Huh? A wall? And it ate you? Hee hee, what the heck?" Rin chuckled. The pink-haired boy grinned and pointed a finger at himself proudly.

"Yep, I was bein' totally cool, ya know~" He winked at the blue-eyed boy, "It's too bad you missed it." Rin folded his arms over his chest and smirked teasingly.

"Yeah, right. I don't believe you."

Renzou's finger drooped. "H-Hey… this time I really _was_ cool…!" The boy exclaimed in an attempt to defend himself. Then, he frowned as he thought back to how scared he had been after being caught by the demon, "Well… except the part when all the red demon hands came out and dragged me into the wall, I guess… that scared the shit out of me."

Rin chortled and pointed his index finger at him, "Haha, I knew it! But…" He smiled and then looked away, eyes jumping back to the floor again. The boy's pointer finger retreated to scratch at his cheek and he mumbled, "I-I'm kinda glad that happened…" Renzou blinked at the boy, who was now turning softly red in the face again. The pink-haired boy couldn't help but grin widely and he nodded in agreement.

"Yeah~ I'm glad, too…"

Rin's eyes flickered up to meet his. Then, the boy sent him a small smile that made Renzou feel like leaping over to cuddle the boy all over again. But he didn't. Instead, he leaned back on his hands to take a good look at his surroundings. They were in an exact copy of the bedroom, even with the beds all pushed together like the way Rin had done the other night. The pink-haired boy raised an eyebrow at the beds.

_Huh… so I guess the demon is copying stuff all the time, huh. Otherwise, it wouldn't have gotten the beds right, too. Except…_ His eyes darted towards the walls. There should have been chalk markings there if the demon was actively copying the room… but there were none. _So either, it hasn't copied it yet or the barrier is stopping it from doing so…_ The latter made more sense. After all, didn't Rin mention that there was shaking and it seemed like the demon couldn't enter? Which brought about another question… how did he get in here if the demon couldn't enter? A cold bead of sweat ran down his head. So wait, did that mean the demon _could_ enter…? So they weren't safe in here?

"U-Uhh… Okumura-kun?" He started nervously and Rin seemed to sit up straighter, noticing the anxious tone in his voice, "W-Where did you find me…? Did I just… suddenly show up in here or somethin'…?" The blue-eyed boy blinked. Then, he shook his head.

"Nope. You were out in the hallway."

Oh good! So the demon didn't drop him in here… which meant that they were safe as long as they stayed in the room.

Wait… hallway? Then didn't that mean…?

"What?" The pink-haired boy gasped, eyes widening in alarm, "Wait! Why were you out in the hallway? Didn't you say you were gonna stay in here?" He couldn't have been going around looking for the demon or exploring, right? Even after he had told him that he'd be staying inside the room…? All this time, he'd thought that the boy was keeping himself safe. But actually, he was roaming outside and could have been attacked by the demon at any moment?

Rin pouted and placed two fingers together, poking them at each other in a fidgety manner.

"I **was**…! But then when I sent my text message, I heard your ringtone in the hallway so… I just took a peek outside… and then I saw you out there, lying face down on the floor so… I brought you inside. Geez…" He glanced up through his bangs, shoulders drooping in a disheartened way, "…why're you so angry all of a sudden, Shima…? It's totally not like you…"

Renzou paused to contemplate the boy's words. Then, his spine relaxed and he laughed. "Oh, is that it…? Haha, geez, you had me thinkin' you were running around out in the halls or somethin'! Anyway… sorry about that. I've been… kinda weird ever since you disappeared, haha…" He couldn't help it. The thought of Rin being in any danger made his skin prickle and his mind would grow numbingly cold. The organs in his body would feel like they were wrenching themselves into knots and it made him feel the **need** to do something, anything. Anything that could take that threat as far away as possible from the blue-eyed boy.

And he had raised his voice on Rin… that was only because he thought the boy was putting himself in unnecessary danger… he wasn't angry. Just… over the top worried… so worried that he had lost control of the volume on his voice. He laughed to himself. _I kinda understand why Bon is always shoutin' at Okumura-kun now, haha~_ Then, he gulped as a thought hit him. _Oh man, I'm not turnin' into Bon, am I…?_

Rin was staring at him with a raised eyebrow, obviously wondering why he had suddenly laughed after telling him how strange he had become after his disappearance. Renzou lifted an arm up to rub the back of his head, "Haha~ Don't worry about it, it's nothin'…" The blue-haired boy's mouth twitched to the side, looking unconvinced. Then, Rin's eyes seemed to shine in realization. The boy spoke in a gentle tone,

"Shima."

"Hm?" The boy with pink hair paused to stare at Rin and then blinked when he found the blue-eyed boy throwing his hand out towards him, palm open invitingly. Rin coughed into his other hand, cheeks lightly flushed and eyes turned away.

"I'm… erm, right here so…"

Renzou gaped at the other boy. Was he offering his hand to him…? To reassure him that he wasn't going anywhere…? He felt his own cheeks grow warm. _S-So cute…? Okumura-kun…!_ He wasted no time in scooting over and he hastily entwined his fingers into Rin's. The boy's hand twitched against his for a second but then he felt fingers curl over his knuckles, locking their hands together, and he basked in that lovely feeling of a warm hand joined with his. With just that simple touch, he felt his heart lift. His worries seemed like they were muffled over and tucked away by a blanket of clouds.

_Ahh, Okumura-kun~ Do you have any idea how amazin' you are…?_ He sighed blissfully and then grinned, giving the hand a tentative squeeze. After a second, he felt a squeeze come back in reply and Renzou swallowed, unable to stop the silly smile from spreading across his lips. _I… had no idea that I could like someone this much…! _In fact, he liked him so much that it almost seemed like the room was shaking.

Wait, no… the room really was shaking…?

Rin's grip on his hand grew firmer, eyes growing round in surprise. "Ah, it started again?" There was another pronounced shake of the room and several low _thunks!_ from the walls, as if a giant were poking at the room with an index finger. Renzou gulped and shuffled closer towards Rin, eyes darting across the walls.

"W-Wha… so it's come back all of a sudden?"

"Y-Yeah…" Rin murmured back, keeping his eyes trained on every corner, "Dunno why it decided to come back all of a sudden though…" Just as he trailed off, another larger quake rumbled the room. The floors were rattling and it was getting harder to stay still on the ground. The crystal light on the ceiling was tottering back and forth, threatening to fall at any second, and the books on the shelf were quivering, slowly being pushed forward. A few of the dusty tomes fell off and smashed onto the ground as the room continued its relentless movement.

Renzou grimaced as his heart seemed to jump up to stay stuck in his throat. His pulse was beating too fast and his limbs were suddenly numb, unsure of what to do. Would the shaking intensify? Would it go away again after a while? The rumbling seemed to slow slightly. And then, without warning, there was an angry _crash!_ followed by an enormous shake. It sent Renzou and Rin up into the air and they came falling, slamming back onto the ground.

"S-Shit! Okumura-kun, what do we—?" He exclaimed, eyes darting around to look for something that could stabilize them. Rin was sprawled on the ground on all fours, head snapping from left to right to find something to keep them still. But another violent shake threw him back toward the bookcase. Renzou felt his body being flung forward, as though the floor were alive and had every intention of throwing him into the hard edges of the room. He winced as his body smashed back onto the ground but quickly looked up to see if Rin was okay.

"Okumura-kun!" The blue-haired boy was groaning in pain, still recovering from the impact against the shelves. Another quake threw Rin forward as Renzou was shoved backward. His head smashed into the floor and the pink-haired boy bit back a yelp of surprise from the sudden pain throbbing from his skull. _S-Shit… where can we go?_ His eyes jumped back to Rin and then widened when he saw the bookcase looming behind the boy, ready to fall forward and crush him. "Okumura-kun, behind you!" But just as he shouted, Rin's eyes shot toward him and then flickered upwards in fear.

"Shima…!" He heard the blue-haired boy scream in a voice that seemed to rip at his soul and then he saw Rin leap forward for him. Renzou's eyes darted up in surprise and he froze when he saw the crystal light crashing down toward him. _Wh—?_ He felt two hands hit his ribs and then he was flying across the floor. The wall came slamming into his back from behind and he grunted as he felt his head and torso bang into it, as though he were a plank of wood splintering on rock. But he shook his head, heart racing rapidly when he realized that those two hands were Rin's. Renzou's gaze flashed toward the other boy and then he gasped, feeling the energy in his body almost drain away, slowing to a stop. Rin wasn't moving. The boy was motionless, crushed under the shattered crystals of the light.

"**Okumura-kun**!"

He dashed forward and was flung onto his hands as another shake tossed him up and down mercilessly. He heard Rin yelp in pain and his heart beat faster, a little relieved to still hear the other boy's voice but worried that something worse had happened to him. Renzou crawled carefully across the floor, trying to keep his body as close to the ground as possible and stop himself from constantly losing balance. But just as he prepared for another quake, the room seemed to halt altogether, leaving his mind in a whirl of movement.

"U-Ugh…" He groaned as he continued to crawl forward desperately. Then, he gasped and shot up on his knees. Right. He could move properly! It wasn't shaking anymore…! Renzou sprinted forward and then skidded down to his knees beside Rin, eyes examining every inch of the other boy. He was lying on his side, looking as though he had crumbled into the sharp shards. Rin's blue bangs were covering his eyes so Renzou could only see the other boy biting into his lip from pain. And there was blood. Renzou's mind swirled. Blood…! Rin's blood was…!

"Okumura-kun! Okumura-kun! C-Can you hear me?" His hands reached out to touch Rin gingerly and he received a wince in reply. Renzou's hands shot back and he began carefully dusting away the pieces of crystal surrounding Rin. "Okumura-kun…! Can you talk? Are you okay? Agh…! What should I do…?"

"Urgh…" Rin groaned and grimaced as he curled his head over the floor, readjusting to his still surroundings, "…that didn't happen last time, heh…" He muttered with a wry smile. The boy turned to look up at Renzou after a second, voicing a simple, "Shima… you okay?" The pink-haired boy felt his heart seize up in inexplicable pain.

"I-Idiot! I'm fine!" How could this guy be asking something like that when he was looking _like __that_…? "But Okumura-kun, you're…?"

Rin let out a weak laugh and slowly pushed himself up onto his arms. Pieces of crystal fell from his hair and clothes as he moved, tinkling against the floor softly.

"Wait—what're you…? Don't move, you moron!" Renzou's eyes darted toward the other boy's arms, noticing that most of the blood was seeping out from the cuts along his left arm. The left side of Rin's face was also scraped up with slivers of crystal. Renzou winced; that second quake must have sent the boy slamming back down into the broken pieces… He heard Rin chuckle and then brush off the rest of the crystals on his clothes.

"Don't worry, Shima~ Something like this will heal up real fast. I'm a demon after all." He saw the other boy's grin but he couldn't understand it. Why was he smiling…? Him being injured wasn't something to smile about…! Rin began to move again—to brush off his right side with his left arm—but just as he raised the arm, his eyes scrunched together in pain and his body shrunk into himself slightly. Renzou's heart leapt up in alert, thumping shrilly in his chest. _He's hurt after all…!_

"Okumura-kun, where does it hurt?" He shuffled closer and he heard Rin mumble a brief, "My arm…" The boy began to shrug off his jacket and Renzou hastily helped him out of it, carefully pulling off the sleeves. The sleeve of Rin's white shirt had splatters of red across it and Renzou could vaguely see (through the gashes in the clothing) that there were pencil-thick shards embedded into Rin's skin.

"It looks like they're not in too deep though…" Renzou murmured, eyebrows drawn together. Rin nodded.

"Yeah… lemme get my shirt off so we can see better." He moved his hands up to unbutton his shirt but then winced again when the motions stirred up his muscles in his left arm. Renzou growled in frustration and smacked Rin's hands away from the buttons. Did this guy like causing himself pain _that_ much? Why couldn't he just ask for help…?

"Stop that! Just stay still and don't move; I'll do it." He heard the blue-haired boy mutter a soft, "O-Ou…" in reply as he worked through the buttons quickly, going down from Rin's collar to his stomach. He gently pried the clothing off from Rin's left shoulder, exposing his bare skin to the air, and then carefully peeled away the bloodied sleeve. Renzou frowned at the sight. The cuts weren't too bad… the blood made things look worse than they actually were. But the shards definitely had to go. Just as he made that thought, he saw Rin reach over and then rip out one of the pieces stuck in his arm. Renzou's eyes grew round at the rough treatment and then gasped as Rin began tearing out another shard.

"Wh—! Okumura-kun, stop that…! What if you make it—?" His eyes darted back to the wound, noticing that they were closing up almost immediately afterward. His breath caught in his throat. _H-How…?_ He heard Rin snicker.

"Told you, Shima~ These'll heal up real fast. No need to get all scared about it."

The pink-haired boy watched the other boy with round eyes, feeling a strange churning sensation beginning to flood in the center of his stomach. His eyes steadily narrowed and his brows creased together tightly.

_Is that why he's always so reckless? He thinks it's all okay… to carelessly throw himself into danger for other people… all because he's got the ability to regenerate like a demon? _Renzou's fists clenched together, fingernails digging into his palms. _Is that it?_

"Okumura-kun… you should stop doing things like that…"

"Huh? Why?" Rin began to pull out another crystal but before he could, Renzou's hand flew out to snatch away the other boy's hand. "What the—!" Rin sent him an indignant look, "Shima, let go!" Renzou's grip tightened and a frown fell across his lips.

"I'm tellin' you to stop that…! Just… wait for Okumura-sensei to come treat it properly, alright?"

Rin blinked in surprise and then wrenched his hand away from the pink-haired boy's fingers. "What? Wait for Yukio? There's no need for that, geez. I can just take care of it now." He reached for his arm again.

"I said to **STOP**, didn't I?"

Renzou heard his voice explode from his throat before he could even understand what he was saying. He saw Rin flinch backwards from the sudden forcefulness in his tone and the boy turned to him with round eyes. "S-Shima…" The blue-haired boy trailed off. Then, his eyes grew hard and he growled, "What the _hell_ is your problem? Why are you getting so angry? Everything turned out alright, didn't it?"

Angry?

Yes… he was angry. That churning and boiling feeling, which threatened to spread throughout his body and burn through his veins, was no doubt anger. But why was he getting angry? Was it because of Rin? Of course he was frustrated with the blue-haired boy for putting himself into such danger. But more than that…

_The room was shaking. The bookcase was falling._

"_Shima…!"_

_Rin was leaping towards him. His eyes shot up and caught the image of that damned crystal light, falling. And then… Rin, motionless under the shattered remains…_

Renzou cringed at the memory. It was still too fresh. "Okumura-kun… you shouldn't have saved me. I would've been fine…"

The two fell into a tense silence, each recalling what had happened only moments before. Then, Rin parted his lips.

"… are you fucking kidding me? You're telling me that I shouldn't have saved you? That you would've been _fine_?"

"Y-Yeah…"

Rin's irises were ablaze, shimmering a blinding blue. A speck of feral red flashed dangerously from deep within his eyes and he shouted ferociously, "So you're telling me you've got some sort of miraculous power that would help you dodge that thing? Or you could've blocked that with your arms or something? You can regenerate? Rise from the dead?" The boy seethed from his spot on the ground, his uninjured arm slamming a palm into the floor, "You can't do any of that, Shima! You would've been crushed by that thing! You could've DIED!"

Renzou clenched his jaw together. Rin was right. That was exactly it. He was just… just still so _weak_. If only he were stronger or _something_… then Rin wouldn't even have to think of saving him. But… but still…

"But… **dammit**, Okumura-kun. I'd rather have that happen to me than… than to see you like _that_…! L-Like… _**this**_…!" He gestured wildly to the boy's bleeding arm, "Can't you understand that?"

Rin spat back just as fiercely, "And can't you understand that I wouldn't wanna see you like this either? Are you an idiot? Why do you think I saved you?" The two boys heaved breaths deeply into their lungs. They stared straight into each other's eyes, unwilling to back down for several angry seconds of silence. Then, Rin dropped his gaze. The boy sighed and glanced towards the bookcase lying face-down on the ground. "Look. This isn't gonna get us anywhere… what's happened already happened, alright?" He pouted and threw a glare at the ground, "I still think I'm right though, stupid Shima… I mean at least if something went through my neck or organs or something, you'd still be able to pull it out and I'd probably survive… you on the other hand…"

Renzou's eyes widened, vision suddenly pooling with the image of Rin lying lifelessly in his own blood, body dotted and speared through with crystalline stakes. His hands shook violently and before he could help it, the pink-haired boy found his numb legs darting towards Rin in a mad shuffle.

"Don't _**say**_ that…!" He whimpered. His arms were around Rin, clutching the other boy close against him. The blue-haired boy winced from the sudden motion and sent Renzou an irritated look.

"Ouch! What the heck are you doing, Shi—?" Rin paused and then after a second, voiced softly, "Shima, are you… shaking…?" But Renzou couldn't properly register the other boy's words in his mind. He could only see that horrifying image playing over and over again in his eyes.

"Don't say that…!" He repeated again and pulled Rin tighter against him, pressing his face against the other boy's neck, "Don't _say_ that…!"

"Shima…" He heard Rin mumble gently. Then, he heard a sigh, "… Shima. I never really understood why you became so nice to me that morning in Kyoto… w-why you… became my friend again so quickly when the other guys were still…" He trailed off and then began again after a shake of his head, "But… I think it's probably because you don't really understand… or you try not to think about it." Renzou continued to hold the other boy against him, listening closely to Rin's words. What was he trying to say…? Rin swallowed and then murmured, "Shima. I'm a demon…" Renzou stiffened. "…my body doesn't work the same way yours or other normal humans do anymore… so even if I get hit by something fatal, I'd be fine. You just gotta accept it… alright…?"

The pink-haired boy stared down at the floor. His eyes dodged along the crystal rubble and finally settled on the black tail lying calmly on the ground, curled in on itself at the end. Accept that Rin was a demon? No… he knew that he was a demon… he'd seen his form… engulfed in those brutal blue flames of Satan. He knew what Rin was capable of… that he could withstand many things. That wasn't the problem…

"I know that, Okumura-kun… I know that… That's not what's botherin' me…" Renzou slowly pulled away, meeting Rin's now gentle blue eyes with his wistful brown ones, "It's got nothin' to do with bein' human or demon…" His gaze shifted towards the wounds on the other boy's face and to the red blood smudged across his cheek. His eyes narrowed. "It's this…" He leaned forward, feeling Rin twitch in surprise from the sudden motion. Before the other boy could pull away, he carefully swept his tongue across Rin's cheek, giving him a warm and tender lick. The blue-eyed boy stifled a gasp and then turned pink in the face.

"S-Shima…?"

Renzou lapped away at another trace of blood wordlessly. Rin attempted to turn his face away but the pink-haired boy only leaned in further, following his movements. When Rin raised a hand up to push him away, he snatched the hand and pinned it down to the ground in one swift movement.

"Shi…! S-Shima, what are you…? …ngh!"

He paused and then examined the blue-haired boy's face. Rin's eyes were closed together, blush fierce across his cheeks. His left cheek… although pieces of crystal were still embedded in his skin, at least finally… it was clean of those haunting stains of blood… A weak smile lit across Renzou's lips.

"Okumura-kun… I just don't want to see you hurt or bleedin'… that's all there is to it."

He wove his other arm around Rin's waist, bringing his head down to lick at the boy's exposed shoulder and arm. He could feel Rin twitch and tremble every time his tongue touched the surface of his skin and the boy was mumbling a shaky, "S-Shima… s-stop it, that… t-that feels… w-w-weird…"

Renzou ignored his request, fully concentrated on getting as much of the red off from Rin's cream-colored skin as he could. A metallic taste and smell was filling his senses and he could feel his heart pumping hard as Rin's hitched breathing and stuttering protests softly enveloped his ears. Just as he began working down towards the boy's elbow however, he felt his vision spin and he groaned as his body grew feverishly hot.

_What the…? This feels just like…_

"Urgh…" He grunted as a sudden dizzy spell threw him off. The pink-haired boy fell forward into Rin's shoulder, causing the boy's eyes to flutter open in surprise.

"Shi… Shimaa…? …eh? S-Shima! Are you okay?" Renzou felt Rin's trapped hand pull out from under his own, leaping up to shake him lightly, "W-What… what happened?"

"Dizzy…" He replied in a wince, "…hot…" He could vaguely feel the blue-haired boy gulp. Then, Rin's grip on his shoulder grew firmer.

"You idiot… it's probably a mashou or something… w-why did you do that, stupid? I told you, I'm a demon, didn't I? S-See? I… I really am one… my blood… just look at how _**sick**_ it's making you… d-damnit… Shima…" The boy's voice cracked slightly at the end and Renzou could feel the quivering of Rin's hand on his shoulder. His chest constricted from hearing the other boy's voice. It sounded so full of guilt and worry… _Okumura-kun… sorry. I'm sorry… I didn't mean to make you think like that. I just… I just wanted to…!_ He felt another wave of nausea hit him and he nearly thought that he had blacked out for a bit. But the boy with pink hair forcefully raised a weak hand up to touch Rin's trembling one. _I wish there was a way I could heal you better… if only I could heal you better… protect you better… isn't there __**anything**__ I can do…? Anything at all?_

The image of Rin, lifeless on the floor with blood seeping out from underneath him, flashed across his mind again and he shuddered.

_It's so scary…_

_I thought bugs were scary… but now I know… above everything else, __you're__ the scariest. Stop scarin' me, Okumura-kun… __**please**__, stop scarin' me…_

There was a sudden pounding sound on the room, as if a 'play' and 'unmute' button had been simultaneously pressed, sending all the background sounds back into motion. A chorus of muffled voices shouting, "Brother! Brother!" and "Okumura!" came from the other side of the entrance. Finally, the door flung open—accompanied by a cry of, "Rin…!"—and in came their party of exorcists.

"Holy shit… what the fuck happened to you, Okumura…?"

"Oh my god, Rin…!"

Renzou groaned weakly and straightened up. He cracked an eye open to study his blurring surroundings. Huh? In the midst between blurs, he was able to realize that the room had somehow returned to its original state. The bookcase was upright again, with its books all neatly shelved. The walls had the chalk markings that they had drawn on in the afternoon and the floor was devoid of any crystal shards. That detestable crystal light was suspended above them again, glowing warmly down upon them.

So they finally broke through that demon and got everything back to normal, huh. Thank god…

He let out a short laugh and smiled, "About time, you guys…" He nudged his head in Rin's direction and mumbled, "Sensei, Okumura-kun is—" But before he could finish his sentence, he felt his vision spin violently and he moaned before falling weakly against Rin again.

"Shima…!" The blue-haired boy exclaimed, eyes darting up towards the others, "Y-Yukio! Shima's got…! He's got a mashou…!"

"W-What?" Ryuuji's eyebrows rose to his hairline.

"Shima-kun has—?" Shiemi gasped and rushed forward across the smooth floors. She stumbled down to her knees and nodded with conviction. "Show me where it is, I'll treat it! And Rin, you should get treated, too!" The blue-haired boy bit his lip and shook his head.

"I-I'm fine! But he… he drank my blood and then… now he's like this…"

"He what?" Ryuuji charged in, followed after by Konekomaru. Shura stood nearby the doorway, arms crossed under her chest as she pursed her lips at the Rin's condition. Yukio's eyes narrowed and he moved towards his brother, gaze drawn to the boy's exposed torso and bloodied arm.

"Take Shima-kun to the kitchen. Brew him some aloe to drink and then treat the symptoms as they come. Now brother… show me your arm."

Renzou felt himself being lifted up by strong arms along with another pair of hands at his feet. His back felt airy, like he were stretched between two tree branches with a thirty feet drop beneath him, and everything felt suddenly all-too-cold as he was pulled from Rin's embrace. He attempted to open his eyes again, grimacing at the lights and movements swirling around him. But his line of sight jumped across all the scenery, searching for that one thing he didn't want to take his eyes off of. And finally he found it. Blue eyes, staring back at him and never leaving him, with eyebrows creased in worry. Somehow that face was able to stay clear within the mess of colors swimming across his vision. And then as they turned the corner, out the door, he gradually closed his eyes again, submitting himself to the black stillness quickly encroaching upon his mind.

.:.

He could hear faint voices fading in from somewhere to his left. What was going on now…? Where was he? What time was it? He had… passed out…?

"…I knew somethin' was weird about that ward…"

That voice… Bon?

"Some of those patterns aren't used for barriers at all, right? What the hell were you guys pullin'? It's about time you told us."

Huh? Wait, what was happening now…?

"…Yuki-chan?"

Right… he'd been taken to get treated… What about Rin? Was he okay now?

"Hmph… I see you have studied ahead, Suguro-kun. You are correct. Those weren't barrier wards… they were snares."

"Snares…?"

What was this about snares…? Renzou shifted his head slightly and faintly noticed from the feel of gravity that he was sitting upright, back leaning against something hard.

"Shima…!" He heard Rin's voice call for him and he slowly cracked open his eyes.

"O…gumuraaa… kun?" He heard himself slur and winced as a light pierced into his line of sight.

"Shima! You're awake! How do you feel…?"

"He'll be **fine**, brother…" Renzou smiled wryly to himself, hearing Yukio's voice mutter with a hint of irritation. The pink-haired boy blinked a few more times and then grinned weakly as he felt his senses begin to start up again. One more blink and his view was clear. He was in the dining room and all around stood or sat his fellow exorcist classmates. Rin was leaning over the table, sitting across from him with a new shirt on and looking completely unharmed. The boy was giving him an anxious look, tail standing upright in alarm. He chuckled softly, hoping that the sound would make the other boy's worried look disappear, and then lifted his arms experimentally. They were heavy at first but then swiftly began moving again as he told them to.

"Yep, I'm fine~ Haha, sorry guys…" His eyes met with Rin's again. The boy looked slightly more relieved. But after another moment of staring at each other, the blue-eyed boy suddenly stiffened in his seat and turned pink in the face. Rin gulped and averted his eyes to the side and Renzou, who took a quick swallow after seeing the other boy's actions, glanced away as well.

_Uhh… r-right… just a while ago, I was touching him pretty boldly, wasn't I…? I-I can't believe I did all that…_

He heard Ryuuji grunt out with annoyance laced in his voice, "So? What were you guys doin' settin' up snares in our rooms? We've heard Okumura's side of the story. Now it's your turn."

Renzou blinked and shifted his gaze towards the blonde-streaked boy, who was standing a few feet away to his left. He stared at his friend curiously, "Hm? What's goin' on?"

"Okumura-kun just explained to us what happened to you two." Konekomaru chimed in gently. His heart sped up. W-Wait, what? So then… did Yukio and Ryuuji know what he…? Did Rin tell them? A-After all, that guy always said really embarrassing things easily… He was a simple kind of guy. Simple and defenseless… which in this case could spell certain doom for him…

Konekomaru must have caught the confused and deeply troubled look on his face because he continued on with a timid smile, "Uhh, when you two were stuck in the demon's dimension and it started shaking a lot…?"

Shaking a lot? Oh…! So… Rin didn't say anything about…? Well… judging from the lack of furious gazes he was receiving, it seemed like they didn't know why or how he managed to ingest Rin's blood. Whew.

"O-Oh!" Renzou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "Right. That…"

The small monk nodded and smiled a little more confidently, "Yep. And now the teachers were about to tell us what they were doing while we were exorcising spirits. Remember the ward that we drew this afternoon? Well, apparently… they weren't actually wards…"

"Eh…?" The boy with pink hair gaped and then turned towards Yukio and Shura, who were both looking relatively calm about everything. What? 'Weren't actually wards'…? Then they were… snares? Instead of keeping demons away, they were actually trying to _catch_ them?

"Heh," Shura snorted and sent them a shrug, "It's not really important for yer guys to know but since you insist…" The woman shared a look with Yukio, who nodded back with a short dip of his head.

"The reason we didn't tell you about it beforehand was because we didn't wish for anyone to be unnecessarily alarmed." Yukio began after pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose crisply, "Do you remember how we woke up and found the room to be in a mess?" The boys nodded wordlessly, keeping close attention to his explanation. "It was highly irregular that no one realized when such a thing had happened during the night. We thought it might be a demon or spirit that might have some unknown properties that could conceal its presence effectively… but it didn't seem like anything dangerous since it had only messed up the room when it could have easily wounded us that night. Therefore, we set up several traps around the mansion. In addition to the two rooms, we set several more areas in the second and first floors. Kirigakure-sensei and I regularly checked them throughout the day."

"So… that's what you were doin' when you left while we were plannin' how to scare Okumura and Moriyama…?" Bon blinked several times in surprise. Yukio nodded.

"Precisely. If we caught this demon, I believed we could study it and discover new abilities that have yet to be recorded in the database."

"Anyway," Shura interrupted with a wave of her hand, "Gettin' ter the point, seems like this demon was one of the smarter ones and never fell into any of the traps we left. When Rin was caught—for reasons we still don't know—and after he went into the room we marked up on our side, seems like the demon knew that it'd be trapped if it went in chasin' after him. So it stayed outside an' tried ta scare Rin back out by shaking the room."

Rin gaped at the fiery-haired woman. "Oh… i-is… is that so? So that's what all that shaking was for…?"

"Probably~" Shura chortled, "Judgin' from how long you said it took fer the shakin' to begin after findin' Shima in there, seems like it was right when we started to figure out how to counterattack. I'm guessin' the shaking got stronger when you two were in there 'cause it was gettin' desperate. Probably knew it'd be exorcised soon, nyaha~"

"Oh, but…" Rin gulped, eyes still reflecting confusion, "Wait! There's still something I don't get. If that place is supposed to trap demons, then how come I could get back out and bring Shima in…?"

The room fell silent for a while, eyes turned down in deep thought. Then, Yukio spoke up calmly.

"The traps have been tested and found highly effective on demons while allowing humans to go in and out freely. But not much is known about its effects on half-demons… so perhaps… it was because you are still half-human so you could still leave the room…?"

"Eh…?" Rin's eyes grew round and he was staring at Yukio as if it were the first time he had seen him. Yukio smiled gently. Then, he pat off his clothes and stood up from his chair at the head of the table.

"Well then, I believe we have all had quite a day… why don't we take another quick bath before retiring for bed?"

"O-Ou…" An awkward chorus of voices murmured across the room. There was a brief pause where they all stared at each other, still trying to properly process what had just been uncovered—the truth behind it all. But when Yukio finally nodded and began moving to the doors with a rustle of his clothes, the young exorcists shook themselves from their stupor and numbly followed after his lead. A steady cacophony of shuffling feet and chairs rose from the ground and soon they were all trampling off to the lobby again, returning to their respective halls. Renzou fell into step a few paces behind Rin. He looked from wall to wall, still adjusting to being conscious and safe with everyone once again.

_Oh man… what a day…_ He shook his head, looking back on the day's events with disbelief. _Who knew somethin' so small like a room getting messed up would end up bein' something like a demon capturing Okumura-kun…?_ As his thoughts rapidly took a turn for the blue-haired boy, he felt his cheeks turn pink. Images of Rin's exposed body began surfacing in his mind again, all too sudden with its clarity—the feeling of the boy's firm yet soft skin under his tongue, smooth and warm… the way Rin's body shivered and trembled from his every touch… Rin's voice, vulnerable and breathless in his ears…

Renzou swallowed heavily.

_Oh shit… back then, Okumura-kun was so… s-so—!_

He had to swallow again.How could a person be so tempting and enticing? So… **addicting**?The pink-haired boy had to mentally punch himself multiple times to prevent his thoughts from taking a hold of his lower body. Instead, he began to think of what he should do next. His relationship with Rin was now…? Renzou paled._ Oh shit… w-what did I __**do**__…? I-I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable around me but… at this rate, h-he'll definitely… _He quickly shook his head._ No, no…! I might be wrong. After all, he's still talking to me pretty normally… right?_ The boy's line of sight shifted towards Rin. _Only one way to find out…!_

"Ah, um… Okumura-kun…!" He exclaimed in an urgent tone, hand reaching out to grab Rin's arm. Renzou saw the blue-haired boy literally jump a foot into the air, tail shooting straight up in alarm. Their steps immediately came to a stop and Rin whipped his head behind him, eyes as wide as saucers.

"S-Shima, wha…?" When their gazes met again, Rin's arm seemed to tense under his hold. The blue-eyed boy hastily ducked his head down, cheeks turning a faint red. They were both silent for a second, each unable to speak—Renzou was stuck in place, enchanted by Rin's bashful demeanor, and the tips of Rin's ears were beginning to turn pink—until they seemed to realize that the rest of the group had also slowed to stare at them in confusion. Rin's head suddenly shot up and he gulped, wrenching his arm away as if he had just touched a scorching piece of coal. "E-Erm…" The boy's cheeks were a deep red, "… g-good to know that you're… feeling better…" Rin mumbled timidly, eyes darting off towards the walls. His body inched away from Renzou at every word he spoke and finally with a quick, "I'm, uh… gonna get a new set of clothes… f-for the bath s-so, uh… mm." And then, with a nod, he turned tail and dashed away, leaving the group behind.

"Ah! O-Okumura… kun…" Renzou stammered, hand frozen in the position of reaching for Rin.

"Wait! Brother, don't go off by yourself like that…!" Yukio called out anxiously and then sent Renzou a quick, scathing look before chasing after his blue-eyed twin brother. The pink-haired boy, however, was too preoccupied by his thoughts to take notice.

_Okumura-kun, that was definitely… he's… obviously avoiding me, isn't he…?_

Renzou groaned and slapped a hand over his eyes. Damn it… it was all going downhill. What would happen after today? Would Rin still let him be his friend? Would he still let him come close to him…? Did he… know how he felt about him now…? Just as he was about to start beating himself up over doing unnecessary things, a heavy hand on his arm startled him from his thoughts. The pink-haired boy blinked and looked through the cracks between his fingers. He gulped when he found Ryuuji standing in front of him, staring straight at him with a fierce gaze.

"Oi…" The boy with blonde-streaked hair started in a deep voice, eyes narrowing, "What the fuck did you do to him?"

"B-Bon…" Renzou murmured with guilt, hand lowering from his eyes. He found that he couldn't look away from the intense stare his best friend was giving him. It was a stare that was straightforward and honest, undoubtedly searching for clarity. He felt the fingers on his forearm constrict.

"Did you…?" Ryuuji trailed off to pause and clench his jaw together. After a second, he scowled and shifted his eyes off to one of the walls. His grip tightened to an almost bruising degree. "D-Did you… tell him…? Ya know… about… about how you…?"

Renzou flinched. His eyes fell to the floor and he gave a weak shake of his head. "N-No, not yet…" Ryuuji's head darted upwards in surprise. Then, he frowned deeply.

"Then… did you kiss him?"

_W-Whaa…! K-Kiss…? _Renzou felt his face heat up. It would've been amazing if he had but… it hadn't really been on his mind back then…

"No… I didn't…" The pink-haired boy mumbled slowly as he began imagining what it might have been like if he had tried kissing Rin after cleaning the blood off from his cheek. His face felt as though it were on fire. _Urk! Why am I blushing so much over this…? I-I mean… I've already licked my way across half his arm and even got to hear his… voice when… ghh—!_ Renzou mentally slapped himself when he felt his cheeks turn an even brighter shade of red. _S-Shit… I'm just makin' it worse…!_

Ryuuji sent him a suspicious look. Then, he muttered faintly—soft enough that even Renzou could barely hear it, yet powerful enough to make his heart twinge.

"I'm not givin' up just yet… watch me." With that, the boy brushed past him and stalked off down the hall, in the direction of the lobby. Renzou gaped after his best friend's retreating figure. Then, his mouth clicked shut. A small smile spread across his lips.

_Yeah… Bon's right. Me, too._ He smirked, eyes starting to shine with conviction again. _It might be awkward for Okumura-kun… and I might not know what'll happen from now on but… I won't be giving in either…! I don't want to!_ The image of Rin's flushed face resurfaced in his mind and his smirk turned to a soft smile. _Not just yet…!_

He could feel several pairs of eyes on him now and he jumped in place, finally noticing that Shura, Konekomaru, Shiemi, and Izumo were still standing with him. Shura was leaning against the wall and she was sending him a knowing look. As soon as they met eyes, the woman grinned and pushed herself off the wall. She then casually waved a hand at him and began trotting off towards the lobby, following after the previous three. Konekomaru looked slightly troubled, eyes constantly shifting from him to the direction of the lobby. Both Shiemi and Izumo, however, were looking straight at him: one with a slight pout and the other with a gentle stare.

Konekomaru was the first to speak.

"Umm… Shima-san," The boy smiled grimly, "I just want you to know that… I'm… not exactly on anyone's side so…" He let out a weak laugh and rubbed the back of one hand with his free palm in a sheepish manner, "No matter how this turns out, I'll… um… always be there for you guys."

Renzou blinked once. _Ahh, Koneko-san… I didn't really think about it but… it's probably hard on him to see me and Bon competing like this against each other, huh. But even so… he still supports us…_ The pink-haired boy pulled on a wide grin and raised his arms up, locking his hands behind his head casually.

"Thanks, Koneko-san…~ Sorry… for all the trouble, ahaha~"

The small boy cracked a small smile and then shook his head gently, "Just… don't hurt each other too much, yeah? Haha…" They shared a chuckle. Then, Konekomaru waved his hand at him and calmly left down the hallway after the others. Renzou continued to watch his friend walk away.

_Maybe… I should confess my feelings soon…_ He scratched the back of his head uncertainly, lips pressing together. _After all, Okumura-kun already feels awkward around me… plus, he's starting to avoid me… what else do I have to lose? At least… well, I don't want to give up but… if he really doesn't want anything to do with me anymore, at least he'll know… and then I can move on… or somethin' like that…?_

The pink-haired boy was startled from his thoughts by a strong gaze, searing holes into his head. He swallowed and then shifted his attention to the source of the gaze: a certain blonde whose fists were clenched into her skirt and trembling from head to toe. Her pout was now deeper than he had last seen it, almost like a scowl.

"M-Moriyama-san…?" He involuntarily gulped again, temporarily losing his train of thought. Shiemi was actually capable of staring at people in such a vicious way…?

"Shima-kun…" The girl started, voice slightly shaking but still firm, "Miwa-kun might be worried about you and Suguro-kun being hurt b-but…" She shut her eyes and burst out loudly, "I don't mind that you guys like Rin but…! B-But…!" Shiemi's eyes shot open again, fixed steadily on him, "I…! I won't forgive you guys if you hurt Rin…!"

"A-Ah…" Renzou had to take a step backwards, eyes growing round in shock. Shiemi frowned deeply.

"I don't know what you did to Rin but… he is obviously nervous around you for some reason!" Her hands held on tighter to the edge of her skirt, "Also! I don't know why you drank Rin's blood b-but… if I find out that you are doing something bad to Rin, I'll… I'll make sure that you hear from me again…!" The girl shouted and then heaved in several breaths of air.

Both Renzou and Izumo were frozen in place by now, staring at the blonde with bug-eyed expressions. Shiemi stiffened and then stared back at them, eyes just as wide. The girl gasped and covered her mouth with her hands hurriedly. Her cheeks were turning a rapid pink and she bowed in a rigid manner. "Ah! E-Excuse me… sorry, I… just… Rin is… to me… he is…" Her face was now turning a bright red and she quickly shook her head back and forth, "T-T-Thank you for listening to me…! I-I take my leave…" With another deep bow, she spun on her heel and began racing down the hallway, shoes clopping clumsily against the floor as she ran.

Renzou and Izumo gaped at the girl until she disappeared into the lobby. Then, Izumo parted her lips.

"That just…?"

"Yeah, that just happened…" Renzou nodded dumbly. The purple-haired girl wore a slightly bewildered look on her face. But it quickly changed to a small frown.

"Hmph," She scoffed, "It's just like her to be so unbecoming…" The pink-haired boy raised an eyebrow at Izumo, who was standing to his right. But then he chuckled when he noticed the slight twinkle of approval in the girl's eyes.

"You're…pfft…!" He had to stifle a laugh with his fist, "…so tsundere, dude."

The girl bristled at that comment. "E-Excuse me? H-How am I a tsundere?"

Renzou burst out laughing, "Bwuahaha! How are you not?"

Izumo seethed at him, cheeks a light pink. She turned away, beginning to stomp off towards the lobby.

"Ugh, I shouldn't have stayed behind…" She muttered irritably to herself, "And to think I even thought of trying to help you…"

"H-Huh?" Renzou followed after her with haste, "W-Wait, what did you just say…?" He could see her face turn visibly red and she spat out a ferocious, "Nothing!" The pink-haired boy jogged to catch up with the girl and he grabbed her by the shoulders. "No, wait! I thought I heard you say… you might help me…?"

Izumo flicked his hands away and then crossed her arms over her chest, face still warm.

"I was only thinking that… well… if you're having trouble getting your feelings across to that super oblivious guy… I…" She murmured in an annoyed manner, line of sight falling to the side shyly, "… _might_ have some materials I can lend you… to help give you some ideas…"

_Materials…?_

"R-Really?" Renzou gaped at the girl in disbelief. Izumo was actually offering to help him that much…? But why all of a sudden…? He shrugged inwardly. _Well… at this point, any kind of help would be nice…_ The pink-haired boy studied the girl for just a little longer, and then he grinned so brightly he could have lit up the hall in the dark. "Thanks, Izumo-chan…! You'll really help me?" Catching his hopeful smile, the girl whipped her head away, thoroughly embarrassed.

"D-Don't get me wrong, it's not like I'm doing this for you…!" She huffed, "It's only because… well… that guy would probably be…" Izumo paused and then let out an irritated groan, "I-In any case, it's not because of you!"

"Haha~ I got it." Renzou continued to grin at her, causing the girl to roll her eyes in exasperation and then trot down the hall at a quicker pace. The two continued on together, trekking through the hall and into the lobby with amiable feelings passing between them. When they reached the center of the large and dimly lit room, Izumo waved her 'good night' with a curt promise to bring the 'materials' as soon as their next meeting for cram school lessons. He watched her leave, listening to her brisk steps across the floor and to the crisp sound of a door creaking opening and then closing. Soon the boy was left alone with only the door to the boy's hallway and his troubled thoughts to accompany him. Renzou sighed, letting his shoulders sag slightly. Then he ran a hand through his hair, letting his fingers linger in the strands a little longer than usual to offer himself some sort of comfort.

"Right…" He breathed out, closing his eyes for a second before opening them again and focusing on the large door to the left. The feeling of Rin throwing off his hand—the haunting memory of him running away from him only moments ago—surfaced in his mind like the pieces of a wrecked ship bobbing back up from deep water. A weak smile lifted the edges of his lips. "I guess… I better go face him…" He made a step towards the door, swallowing heavily when he noticed how that simple movement seemed to cause his entire stomach and chest to churn with nauseating dread. He took another step, sucking in a shaky breath as he thought of how Rin might react when he saw him. Would those blue eyes always run away from his gaze from now on…? Would there be no more text messages to each other? No more warm hugs or even the friendly arm slung across his shoulders? If he tried to hold the other boy's hand again or even try to touch him, would he shrink away as if he were bearing some sort of contagious disease?

His hand was on the handle of the door now. Renzou blinked once. He gaped at the door, surprised by how quickly he had made it there. Studying the old brass handle for a little longer, the boy with pink hair finally let out a short and barely audible laugh. "Let's get to it then…" As he opened the door, his mind began pulling out images of Rin again: the happy way his tail whipped back and forth when he hugged him… the concerned and hurt look on his face when he had knocked him to the floor that day after the movie… his eager and excited eyes peeping over the bus chair… the bashful blush across his cheeks when he shoved a can of bug spray towards him as a gift… Renzou felt his heart simultaneously clench and warm at the same time. He began walking at a steady pace towards the boy's room, quietly shutting the door behind him as he moved forward. And then a small smile drew up his lips again, this time filled with something strong yet gentle.

_Ahh…_

The boy took another step closer, smile growing increasingly wider even as his body continued to tremble with dread.

…_after all, I still can't give you up so easily, can I?_

.:.

He was right. Ever since he saw Rin again, the blue-haired boy would shy away from him and pointedly avoid making eye contact. During the bath with all the boys together, Rin remained dead silent with his eyes glued to his feet. The boy's entire body turned a heated red color every time Renzou as much as lifted a toe in his direction.

They were now in their sleeping quarters, all placing their daily clothes back into their bags and preparing for the night. Renzou felt his heart pang again when he saw Rin physically flinch backward as he accidentally moved closer to him to reach for his duffel bag. He sighed inwardly. _I knew it… h-he's totally freaked out by me… w-what should I do? Aahh, this is so hard…!_

Just when he thought he couldn't take it any longer, a handful of chopsticks was thrust in front of him. Renzou blinked in surprise, eyes round and fixed on the welcome interruption.

"H-Huh?" He voiced, eyes darting up to find Konekomaru staring back at him with a nervous smile. The smaller boy glanced down to the floor and then began speaking loud enough so that the others in the room could hear.

"Umm… yesterday we decided that we'd change sleeping partners with another round… r-right? S-So… I thought… we should go backwards this time…" The boy laughed softly and raised a finger up to scratch his cheek, "Shima-kun was last so… how 'bout you go first this time…?"

The boys in the room paused to stare at the small monk, eyes flickering towards the handful of chopsticks. Takara was the first to move, immediately showing his disinterest by taking the sofa once again. Renzou jumped from his stupor a few seconds afterward.

"Oh! R-Right… uhh… thanks, aha ha…" He chuckled weakly and then tentatively plucked out one of the chopsticks with a quick mutter of, "I'll take this one then…"

It was purple.

He stared at the color for a moment, letting a soft smile spread across his lips. If Rin picked this color… then maybe he could get a chance to talk to him… He shook his head. _Haha… I doubt it'll happen, what with my luck so far but… it would be nice if it did happen…_ Konekomaru was now standing in front of Rin, holding out that handful of chopsticks to him. Renzou couldn't help eyeing them, hopes still painfully rising in his chest despite his efforts to crush it. This time Rin seemed less eager to participate in the game. His fingers touched one of the sticks and he immediately drew that one out. Renzou felt his mind go blank when he saw the color.

_Eh…?_

Purple.

He noticed Rin visibly stiffen and the boy's eyes were darting back and forth between the two sticks so fast Renzou was surprised he hadn't keeled over from dizziness. The pink-haired boy could faintly hear Ryuuji's voice exclaim, "Konekomaru, you—?" followed by a horrified squeak of, "N-No! I didn't…!" from the small monk. But those sounds barely registered in his mind. All he could see was that pair of chopsticks—that color of purple which gave him a new chance to connect himself back to Rin—and the utter look of pale fear draining into Rin's face. He instinctively winced at the other boy's expression. Rin looking like that… i-it was completely wrong! Just like how he shouldn't look sad either… Rin shouldn't have that kind of expression on his face…

He… he had to fix this…!

His ears began tuning back into his surroundings as he quickly came to a decision. Konekomaru had already gone around to Yukio and Ryuuji by now. Both had picked green and needless to say, the two had begun gaping at each other in horror. Renzou took this moment to clear his throat and he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, feinting a casual and nonchalant attitude.

"Umm…" His eyes were focused on Rin, who was (for the first time since he had first run away) staring back into his eyes again. Seeing those round and bright blue eyes aimed towards him again brought a more relaxed smile to Renzou's lips. He chuckled softly, "Okumura-kun, how about we redo this?" The pink-haired boy waved the little purple chopstick in the air, "After all, if we leave those two guys together," He nodded towards Ryuuji and Yukio, who were now both staring at him with wide and disbelieving eyes, "They might get into a huge fight in the middle of the night, haha! That'd suck… right?" He grinned widely, trying to hold down the throbbing feeling threatening to hurl from his chest. It was true that he didn't want to give up but… if Rin really disliked it that much… if he disliked the idea of having to sleep beside him, to have to feel his presence so close to him, to the degree of making _that_ sort of face… there was no way Renzou could continue to try and force it.

"No!"

The splitting cry suddenly rang out like a slap across the silence. Renzou blinked once and then stared at the blue-eyed boy, feeling as though his world were spinning once again.

"W-Wha…?"

Rin's hands were clenched so tightly together his knuckles had turned white. His expression on his face now read of panic and almost desperation. The chopstick with the bit of purple color on the end was shaking in his right fist.

"N-No…! I…" He swallowed, eyes darting across Renzou's face wildly, "I… I…!" Rin squeezed his eyes shut and then shouted loudly, "I want to sleep with Shima…!" As soon as he released that statement, the boy's cheeks flushed with red. His blue eyes widened for a split second before he quickly covered it with a nervous scowl and hastily crossed his arms over his chest, turning away so that the other boys had difficulty seeing his entire face, "A-After all… it'd be totally lame to redo this…! You know? B-Because… well… b-because… the chopsticks have spoken! So… s-so… y-yeah…! We can't go against it, right?"

"Aaah…" Was all Renzou could come up with in response. After all, his heart was now beating all too fast and his stomach was doing the most atrocious yet simultaneously most amazing flops inside his body.

Rin… had rejected his offer…

Rin… didn't dislike him…

In fact, Rin… might even… _like_ him? As in… _**like**_ him?

…he could interpret it that way… r-right…?

He wasn't getting his hopes up too high… was he…?

Rin threw an irritated glance at him, cheeks still a dark pink, and then he growled when he noticed that the rest of the boys had similarly halted in movement after his outburst. The blue-haired boy frowned and grunted out an angry, "Come on, guys…! Let's go to sleep already, dammit!" He stormed up towards Konekomaru and then marched the boy over to the bed closest to the window again. After flinging the boy down on the sheets, Rin dashed back to grab both Ryuuji and Yukio by the wrists. "We still need to wake up early tomorrow, right?" He pulled them roughly across the floor and then forced their backs down onto the bed closest to the door. Finally, he whirled around on Renzou and his cheeks seemed to pink over again. The boy averted his eyes and then reached for the pink-haired boy's hand. He grasped it nervously at first but then immediately tightened his hold in resolve, dragging Renzou to the center bed.

The boy with pink hair could only let out a startled yelp as the backs of his knees hit the edge of the bed and he was shoved down onto the blankets by Rin's Herculean strength, as he had done to the others before him. Renzou was still processing the part where Rin had accepted being his sleeping partner. But now, in addition to that, he had to revel in the fact that the other boy was also finally talking to and touching him like normal again. With so many things going through his mind, there was just absolutely no room for him to respond. And so one moment, he found that his back was hitting the firm mattress and soft sheets. The next, he could hear Rin yell out an angry, "G'night!" before the lights flicked off in an impromptu manner. And then he felt Rin crawl in from the foot of the bed. Although he couldn't see exactly where the blue-haired boy was, he could feel that the other boy had flung himself down towards his left side. After an angry but conclusive huff of breath into their shared pillow, the room finally became still.

Renzou had a feeling that all the boys (besides Rin and Takara) were now just staring at the blindingly dark ceiling in stunned silence.

_What… just…?_

For a couple of minutes, he could only stare blankly upwards. How did they get from over there to… here? And it's so dark all of a… sudden? A shuffle of sheets from his right side brought him out from his thoughts and he glanced over, noticing that Konekomaru had recovered first and was already settling into his blankets. He heard a reluctant groan and low, unhappy muttering from his left side. That was probably Ryuuji and Yukio giving in to their predicament. And then there was… Rin.

He chanced a small glimpse at the blue-haired boy, nearly taking an intake of breath when he found Rin's vivid blue eyes staring back at him from just mere inches away. The boy's irises were just so beautiful with the moonlight and starlight streaming in from the window, reflecting off of the blue so that it seemed to almost shimmer and glow… Rin immediately tensed up and even with the light of the moon so dim in the room, Renzou could tell that his face was a burning red.

"I-Idiot!" The blue-haired boy suddenly smashed the palm of his hand into Renzou's face, pushing away at his cheek with such force that his neck nearly received whiplash. Rin was whispering harshly at him now, releasing an angry exclamation of, "Why the hell are you looking here? Turn that way…!"

Renzou was yet again stunned. Rin's hand was still pressing against his cheek fervently, pushing him so that his line of sight was directly facing the window. As the pink-haired boy took a moment to blink, he swallowed and began to tremble. A giddy feeling was rapidly rising from his stomach, searing and soaring up his veins and causing a hot warmth to spread all across his body. He could feel the heat shooting directly up into his face.

"O-Oh… y-yeah, sorry… um… mm…" The boy with pink hair managed to whisper as he slowly turned away and stared at the form of Konekomaru's back with wide eyes. Rin's hand withdrew from him but he still had to clamp his lips together, pressing them into a firm line so that he could put a stop to that wobbling smile threatening to burst out.

_Okumura-kun… do you like me…?_ Renzou trembled again, battling with himself and trying to decide if he should just ask straight out right now or if he should wait until another day when he was more prepared. _I want to know… _His heart was beating so loudly that he was sure Rin could hear it. _I really want to know…!_

But before he had the chance to say anything, he heard a whisper come from behind him and he felt the rapid pulse rushing through his body screech to a stop.

"… sorry, Shima…" Rin murmured quietly, "I… accidentally heard you… erm…"

_Accidentally heard me…? _Renzou felt his heart begin to speed up again, now for a different reason. _A-Accidentally heard me do w-what…?_ There was a loud silence following after Rin's voice. It was stifling and in that silence, it became almost difficult to listen for their sounds of breathing. But after a minute (and Renzou could distinctly hear the sound of Rin's lips parting to speak) he continued.

"Erm… remember when we were still in the room together? Well… just before everyone else got in the room… and—"

"Ahem," There was a clear cough from Yukio, cutting cleanly through his twin brother's sentence, "Brother. Stop chatting. We need to sleep and wake up early. You said so yourself. So, **'Go to Sleep'**." The boy's tone was crisp and cold. It left no room for questioning. Renzou heard Rin cut himself off with a brief, "O-Ou… night…" and then felt the boy nod silently into their shared pillow, leaving another heavy silence to weigh down upon them. Renzou, whose heart was still beating heavily against his chest from anticipation and anxiety, couldn't close his eyes.

_D-Damn it…! Why did that bastard have to pick that moment to interrupt…? W-What was Okumura-kun trying to tell me…? He said he heard me accidentally…? What was he sayin'? Argghh! Damn you, sensei…!_ He chewed on his bottom lip and tried clenching his eyes closed. But he only felt more stressed out by doing that. Eventually, Renzou settled on keeping his eyes dully open, attempting to blank out until he bored himself into a sleep-like state.

_I guess… I'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what he wants to say, huh…_

Through his half-lidded eyes he saw Konekomaru shift again slightly, to adjust his blanket over his shoulder. Renzou's light brown eyes steadily drew towards the window and he couldn't help but stare out, idly hoping that the shadowy swaying of tree branches would put him to sleep as soon as possible.

But suddenly, he felt a small shift in the sheets behind him. Rin was moving? Shortly afterward, he heard a voice softer than the rustling of leaves speak,

"…Shima?"

Renzou's breath caught in his throat. _O-Okumura-kun…?_ Then, he felt a light nudge to his shoulder. It was accompanied with a timidly whispered, "Shima… are you sleeping…?" and the adorable words managed to light up a warm, surging feeling through his veins all over again.

Renzou gaped at the window in disbelief.

_H-He's still awake…!_ His heart was pounding. His stomach was leaping. _He still wants to talk to me… he stayed awake… to talk to _**me**_…!_

The pink-haired boy swallowed and then made a quiet noise of acknowledgement, "Mm. 'm still awake…"

He could hear Rin's voice tinged with surprise as he spoke again.

"O-Oh…! …g-good…! Uhh… 'cause, well… I still… wanted to talk to you about how… h-how you—"

An irritated and long grunt of frustration abruptly left Ryuuji's lips, startling Rin into sucking his breath back in. There was also the violent turn of blankets, suggesting that the boy with blonde-streaked hair had angrily changed positions. As for Rin… the boy had shut up again.

Renzou felt his stomach drop.

_Argh! DAMMIT, BON…!_

After that, he didn't hear Rin speak again for a long while. For a few minutes (that felt more like hours), Renzou laid still on his side, hoping beyond hope that Rin wouldn't give in and would attempt to speak to him again. But another handful of minutes went wasted to the silence and there was no sign that the blue-eyed boy would try again. However, just as he began losing hope of hearing from the other boy (and he was also starting to nod off into a restless sleep) Rin shifted again. He could hear the other boy shuffle uncomfortably, as if he were fidgeting nervously against the sheets.

"…Shima…?" The blue-haired boy whispered again, managing to lower his voice to an even softer degree than before.

!

_Okumura-kun~~!_ Renzou fought back an urge to turn and scoop Rin into his arms. Instead, he answered with a hasty, "Yep…! 'm awake…!" which further sent his heart into a frenzied race. _Pleeeaaase…! Let them be asleep by now! Please, please, please… don't let them interrupt again…!_

He felt Rin stiffen momentarily before relaxing back into the mattress.

"O-Ou… good, still awake… so…" The boy paused awkwardly and shifted again, "Uhh… as… I was saying before… uh… sorry about accidentally hearing, erm…"

_R-Right…! You accidentally heard something… A-And…?_

"… you were kind of out of it because of the mashou so… you probably don't remember saying it but… umm…" Renzou had to strain his ears to hear Rin finish his sentence, "… you said… you… wanted me to stop scaring you…"

Renzou's muscles tensed. His eyes grew round. What…? T-That thing that he had been thinking about… He had said that out loud…? He didn't even realize it…

"U-Uhh… s-sorry. I accidentally heard…"

"Okumura-kun," He heard himself whisper in a hoarse tone. He winced at himself but continued on, about to explain to the other boy what he had meant by saying that. _I don't want him to think that I'm literally scared of him…_ Renzou began to turn back towards the other boy, the beginnings of a sentence at the tip of his tongue, "I—" But a light kick to his foot cut him off and he heard Rin mutter in annoyance,

"Oi, I haven't finished what I wanted to say yet! Lemme finish first, okay? A-And don't turn around, stupid…!"

Renzou had to swallow, bottling down his urges—to do exactly the opposite of what Rin requested—again and again. Why did something so insignificant seem to fill his heart and body with such desire…? (Seriously, being told not to turn and look at the other boy shouldn't make him feel so happy…!) When he was finally sure his voice wouldn't fail him too much, he gave a small nod towards the window.

"…o-okay."

Rin seemed satisfied by that answer. "Er, where was I…? Uh… o-oh yeah… umm, s-sorry again but… you… looked really sad when you said that so…" The boy's whispers trailed off for a moment, likely taking a pause to properly form the right words he wanted to say. Renzou could imagine Rin scrunching his eyebrows together and lips drawn together thoughtfully. Within another few seconds or so, the blue-eyed boy began again, "I… um, thought about a lot of things after that… about what you said to me when you were all angry… and about what I said and what I did… and then, after Yukio said that thing about me being half-human, I think I realized something…" Renzou nodded again as Rin paused to lick his lips, "I realized that… I'm… I'm really glad that I'm who I am…"

It was silent for a while but after a few seconds, Renzou replied with a soft, "Oh…?" to encourage the other boy to continue. He felt Rin nod into the pillow behind him.

"Yeah… I wasn't happy about it before… I guess that's why you heard me say all that stuff about being a demon and stuff… to be honest, I guess I've always been having a hard time… with accepting it… I guess what I said to you was mostly what I was actually trying to say to myself, but…" Renzou felt Rin scuffle a little closer towards him. Another scoot and he could feel the tingling sensation of skin only a brief motion away from touching another person's skin. The pink-haired boy felt his heart begin to start up its all-too-fast pace again. Then, it nearly exploded when Rin's hand all too suddenly touched his back. Rin's fingers were now clinging to the back of his shirt; it was a foreign warmth that sent massive amounts of fuzzy, electric waves buzzing up and down throughout his body.

"Umm… Shima…?"

"H-Huh…?" He could barely stutter. Rin snickered gently and the fingers which were gripped into his shirt tightened just a fraction.

"If I weren't half-human… I never would've been able to get you inside the room… and who knows what would've happened to you. But… if I weren't half-demon either… I never would've been able to save you and see you alive like this afterward so… ehee," The blue-eyed boy chuckled, the breaths from his laughter a soft and light staccato against Renzou's back, "I'm glad… that I'm like this…" His whispers grew softer, settling into a content tone, "Yeah… I'm really glad…"

_Okumura-kun…_

Renzou swallowed for the umpteenth time that day. _W-What should I do…? I can't… hold it in anymore…! Arghhh—! _He gnawed down on his bottom lip, eyes wavering back and forth across the expanse of visible night sky through the window. Then he let out a silent grunt of frustration to himself. _Whatever! I j-just… I… HAVE TO! ARRGHHH—!_

There was a _whish!_ of blankets and suddenly, before he even realized what he had done, he was face to face with a surprised Rin. After a split second stare, Rin's eyes immediately grew round and his cheeks turned a bright red.

"I-Idi—! Didn't I tell you to look that way…? Stupid…!" The boy flung his hand towards Renzou's face again. But this time, expecting the motion, the pink-haired boy caught the other boy's hand. Rin gaped at the hand in bewilderment and then tried to pull away. But Renzou held on fast. The boy gulped and his eyes darted from the entwined hands to Renzou's face then back to the hands again. Finally, the pair of blue eyes settled on the small space of sheets between them and a reluctant mumble of acceptance released from Rin's lips.

"Okumura-kun…" Renzou smiled gently, watching the other boy fix his eyes to the point between them with unbreakable concentration. Under the light of the moon, he continued to watch Rin, noting every beautiful curve of his face being illuminated in the pale glow. When he murmured his name, he saw Rin tentatively peer at him again before returning to stare at the spot he had been looking at. But this time, the blue-eyed boy wore a barely visible smile on the corners of his mouth. An overwhelming rush to pull the other boy into his arms and to kiss him silly began erupting all across Renzou's body.

_This guy… I love him… I really love him, don't I…_

Renzou continued to study Rin closely, transfixed by that hint of a smile, and he slowly inched his head closer and closer towards the blue-haired boy. His eyes fell half-closed and just as he was about to reach Rin, the other boy muttered a quiet, "Erm…"

Renzou pulled back with a jolt, eyes snapping wide open again.

"H-Huh? Yeah?"

He saw Rin smile a little wider and turn pink in the face again.

"Uh… remember when you said that… it wasn't about being a demon or a human… you just… didn't want to see me hurt or bleeding…?"

Renzou nodded numbly, still trying to cope with the fact that he had yet again given into his desires so easily. He really did have a hard time stopping his body from doing what it wanted, didn't he…

Rin began fidgeting with a part of the blanket, using his free hand to rub the fabric pieces together. "So I guess… that means that I'm kinda… pretty important to you… r-right?"

The pink-haired boy couldn't stop himself from blushing intensely. After all, the way Rin was asking around the main question was… _**cute**_…! Plus, if he admitted it to Rin right now… it would be just like a confession, wouldn't it…? He let a few seconds pass and he was sure that both he and Rin were probably holding their breaths in anticipation. Then, finally… he gave a small nod of his head. His eyes fell on Rin, looking for the other's reaction despite the fact that it was embarrassing to do so (because he was probably blushing the reddest he had ever blushed in his entire life so far)…

Rin still wasn't looking at him but his fidgeting had stopped and the hand that was being held by his own hand had twitched faintly. The blue-haired boy then shifted his head down a little, as though ducking into his chest to hide his face.

"Hmm…" Renzou heard the other boy voice quietly. After another second, he felt Rin's hand endearingly squeeze his in their entwined fingers. The pink-haired boy gasped silently, staring down at the blue-haired boy with a surprised expression. Then, he couldn't help but grin, giving a little squeeze back. The two boys exchanged playful squeezes through their clasped hands and Renzou chuckled inwardly to himself.

_Awesome… looks like things are good between us… in fact, it might even be better…! T-This is like a dream come true…! _He felt like crying that last sentence out loud, feeling completely relieved and happy now. Maybe he didn't need Izumo's help anymore… maybe he should just try simply asking Rin out on a date or something…? As he began to calm down from his high, Renzou immediately noticed two searing gazes blazing from behind Rin's back.

_W-Wha?_

Ryuuji and Yukio's eyes were flashing at him like the glint of blades under the moonlight.

_Oh crap, those two were still awake…? Or were we too loud and woke them up…? But man… I totally forgot that we weren't alone… w-wow… so it _**is**_ true that when you're with someone you like, everything else seems to fade away sometimes…_

They were still glowering at him, Ryuuji being the closest and looking extremely intimidating with his slightly disheveled appearance. However, with Yukio looming behind Ryuuji and sending a glare at him through squinted eyes, unframed by his usual glasses, somehow the scene made Renzou want to laugh instead of shrink backwards in fear. He stifled down his chuckles and sent Rin one last squeeze before releasing him. He then turned on his side again, hoping that the two jealous boys hadn't noticed the look of amusement in his eyes. Now that he was facing the window again, safe from Ryuuji and Yukio's suspicious gazes, he brought a hand up to muffle his mouth, body shaking from all the mirth and joy bubbling within him. He heard Rin ask a curious, "Shima…?" and he shifted his head around to grin in return.

"We should go to sleep, right? Night, Okumura-kun~"

Rin blinked back at him a few times. Then, he nodded and sent a smile back, ducking his head down to his chest again timidly.

"O-Ou…"

Renzou chuckled at the sight and had to give the other boy a brief tousle of his hair affectionately. He smirked and then quickly turned back around to evade the pair of increasingly blazing looks directed at him. After a minute of silence, Rin spoke up again in a soft whisper.

"Shima…?"

Renzou raised an eyebrow. Was there something bothering Rin?

"Hmm…?"

"…u-uhh… uhhh…" He heard the blue-haired boy stutter out nervously. He was about to turn around to see what was wrong when he suddenly heard a groan of exasperation. The next thing he knew, Rin had somehow slung his arms around his middle and was giving him a warm embrace from behind. Renzou froze.

_N-No way… is this really happening…? Okumura-kun… giving me his own hug…? Ahh~ He's so cute! But waaaah…! N-No way… this is a dream, isn't it? This is a dream, right? But don't let it be a dream, pleeeaaase…!_

The boy with pink hair felt his face grow warm and he could feel Rin's own heated face pressed against his back, close to the crook of his neck.

"Good…" Rin's voice mumbled into his shirt, "…g-good night…"

For a few seconds, the two trembled and tensed up against each other quietly, both equally unsure of what to do next. It took a while for them to ease out the tension in their muscles. But soon, Renzou relaxed into the touch, elated by the other boy's affectionate gesture.

_It's all worth it after all… gettin' all stressed out over someone you love… all for a moment like this…_ He sighed contently and he felt Rin snuggle closer to him, likely comfortable with their new position already. Renzou moved his arm to touch Rin's hand again, covering the other boy's hand up with his own. He had the urge to take the hand and bring it up to his mouth, to kiss it a dozen times over. And then after that… he would lick the fingers suggestively or something… and then maybe~?

Renzou quickly shook his head. No no, this shouldn't be the time for perverted thoughts, right…? Oh yeah, and there were other dudes in the room! No way in hell was he gonna let them hear Rin's breathless and vulnerable voice from when they were stuck in the demon's dimension…!

…

…but it should be okay to fantasize, right?

And so, the boys eventually all found their way into sleep. Some had to sustain restless sleeps—one even had nightmares about pink colored wolves eating up his beloved little cat-eared brother (no matter how many times he'd gone wolf-hunting, that damned thing would still reappear!). Others fell into a blissful and peaceful sleep, content with the aftermath of a grueling day. As for one boy, however… for the longest time, he lay awake with his eyes closed, using the black backdrop as his screen for playing out various scenes involving himself and a certain blue-eyed boy. And as he dreamed and dreamed, grinning to himself stupidly while caressing the hand of the one he loved, the pink-haired boy eventually nodded off to the night, eager to greet a new morning.

.:.


End file.
